The Aura Within
by Faye Acacia
Summary: A tragic war left a little girl orphaned at a young age, one gifted with the power to control aura. Bearing the responsibility of her family lineage, Soul took up her father's place as both knight and aura guardian sworn to protect her country from the pain of war. However, that duty is tested when Kanto is caught in the crossfire between two allies at war with each other.
1. Prologue

Neither of them said anything, just stared at each other. His face swirled with confusion, while her sea green eyes were wide with panic. After a moment or so, his eyes began to widen once he realized what she was going to do.

"Soul..." he spoke her name, slowly walking toward her. "Get down from there."

She looked away from him, gritting her teeth with anger. Well, it was now or never. Without any warning, Soul jumped out the window and landed on the soft grass. She scrambled onto her feet and ran for the exit as though her life depended on it. From the distance, the woman could hear her partner Pokémon calling out her name, but not once did she dared to look back. If she did, she'd most likely would have changed her mind.

By this time, his yelling might have alerted the other knights that the woman had escaped. No matter how you looked at it, Soul couldn't go back. Her breaths came out as short pants as she pushed herself to sprint faster. The exit was near. The moment she escaped, she would make a run for the Tree of Beginnings. Her only means of escape was so close, but before she could go through, someone stood in front of it with a sword pointed at her.

Soul came to a sudden halt and unsheathed her sword. Her eyes widened when she recognized the knight who stopped her. He looked as though he didn't want to do this, but he should've known that the moment you point your sword at another knight, it's up to them whether or not they wanted to fight. However, Soul had no time for this. Her eyes narrowed at him as she gripped her sword's hilt.

"Out of my way," Soul demanded. "This is something I have to do."

"I'm sorry." He shook his head. "But I was given orders to stop you at all costs."

The woman growled lowly, now completely glaring at him. She really didn't want to fight him, but it seemed as though she didn't have much of a choice.

"Fine," she growled, powering up her sword using her aura. "Go ahead and try to stop me!"

Soul ran toward the brunette male, her sword pulled back. Despite knowing how much damage this would cause, he stood his ground and prepared himself. Once she was about halfway toward him, she stopped and swung her sword, releasing the aura blade. The knight jumped out of the way on time, the aura blade hitting the gate instead. A huge smoke cloud resulted after the collision.

Taking this to her advantage, Soul maneuvered her way through the smoke cloud, avoiding the knight by staying away from his aura. From there, all she did was run. She kept running and running, not once looking back. The whole way, she had to avoid both weapons and Pokémon attacks. There were a few close calls, but thankfully luck was on her side and allowed her to get through it. Her mission was to get to the Tree of Beginnings, and nothing will stop her.

Soul was beginning to get tired, but she still pressed on toward her destination. Sweat ran down the side of her face as short pants left her mouth. She could already see the familiar rock formation getting bigger in her sight of vision. She was so close; there was a chance she could make it before this becomes any more violent. A familiar voice rang through the air, causing the woman to freeze in her tracks.

She looked over her shoulder and found her Pokémon partner running toward her. Her sea green eyes widened in surprise, but narrowed slightly. Why was he here? He should be back at the castle where it's safe! With a sigh, Soul completely turned around once her Pokémon was a few feet away from her.

"Soul, you've gotta come back!" he pleaded in a desperate voice.

The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that what she's about to do would make him hate her forever. She didn't have much of a choice, it was for his own good. When she reopened her eyes, she gave him a stoic look.

"I can't do that. Don't you understand?" she told him, looking over at the Tree of Beginnings. "The prophecy made it clear that I was going to die. That's why Father never told me about the Ethereal Sphere because he knew that someday, I would have to sacrifice myself using it."

"But you promised you wouldn't die!" he screamed, his voice cracking at the end. "You promised you'd stay alive for me, for everyone. Are you going to betray that promise to them?!"

Soul gripped her sword's hilt, her eyes beginning to water. How foolish of her to promise to stay alive for everyone's sake. Why did she make such an empty promise? Death was after her since the beginning, and she had the feeling everyone knew that. And him... he's been with her since the beginning. If she went through with this, he'd be heartbroken and most likely hate her.

Hesitantly, the woman looked back at the Pokémon, who stared at her with mad, teary eyes. Her blonde fringe shadowed over her sea green eyes as she began to unsheathe her sword. Soul didn't want to do this to her best friend, but again— she didn't have much of a choice anymore.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking back at him with sorrowful and teary eyes. "Please, forgive me someday."

Her Pokémon gave her an odd look, which bought her enough time to focus aura energy into her sword for a sealing. When the sword's blue gem glowed a light blue color, Soul threw it near his feet. The glow of the blue gemstone manifested. A light blue light came out of the gem and surrounded his entire body, making him become translucent.

Realizing what she had done, the Pokémon looked at her dead in the eyes with his teary glare. That glare flared with both anger and hurt, which made the woman's heartbreak. His final words stabbed her in the heart like a ton of needles.

"I trusted you, Soul! I will never forgive you for this!"

* * *

Aura is a form of spiritual energy and is described as the essence of every living creature. During the time before PokéBalls were even invented, there was only a small percentage of humans who were able to sense and control this mysterious power. These people were known as aura guardians. They are mostly recognized for traveling around the world to do good deeds for others. They are also responsible for passing on their skills to other people who possess the potential to wield the power of aura.

A young girl named Soul Fraverden was one of them. She was trained by none other than her late father, Andrew Fraverden, who was also one of the kingdom's most powerful and loyal knights. He was once an aura guardian and served for Queen Rin of Rota. One day, Andrew was ordered to go into battle against the rebels who wanted to overthrow the Queen from her throne. Time went by and every night young Soul would wonder if her father was still alive out there.

Before he left, Andrew gave his only daughter a Pokémon egg. He promised his daughter to come back just in time before the Pokémon hatched. Months went by and, while the battle kept raging on, the egg hatched and a Ralts was born. One day, the war had ended with the Queen's men victorious. Unfortunately, Andrew's daughter got a visit from the Queen that day. She was informed of the unfortunate news that her father had died in battle.

Soul was devastated. Now all she had was her Pokémon that she received as an egg from her father. Queen Rin, out of pity, took her in. The Queen knew the young child possessed the same power as her faithful knight, Sir Aaron. She asked him to continue Soul's training as an aura guardian. It took years of hardship and taunting from the other knights, but Soul had finally mastered aura thanks to the Queen's loyal knight.

Soul's Ralts had evolved into a Kirlia, and later into a Gallade. Queen Rin gave Soul a Dawn Stone for her eighteenth birthday, allowing her to evolve her Pokémon. It was also the same day Sir Aaron took in a lone Lucario as his student and trained him. As for Soul, she became a knight and swore to protect her kingdom for the Queen, for the people and for her father. She will carry on her father's legacy as the Queen's protector, as well as her family's aura guardian.

Now begins the tale of how this legacy came to be through a journey like never before.


	2. Aura Guardian

_Clank!_

 _Clink clank!_

The loud sound of metal clashing with metal awoke a young blonde woman from her slumber. She groggily opened her eyes, revealing her unmistakeable sea green eyes. From the other side of the room, her trusty Pokémon partner had also been awoken from his slumber, much to his irritation. The woman yawned before sitting upright and pushing aside the curtain from the window next to her bed. Now, what could all this noise be?

"Hey Soul, mind checking out what all that noise is and shut it up?" the grumpy Gallade asked.

"Fine, I'll holler if I need you," the woman, Soul, mumbled as she got up from her comfortable bed. "Now go back to sleep."

Gallade did not argue and happily obliged with her order.

Soul's Gallade was rather a strange case, what with him being skilled with telepathy. He learned to communicate through telepathy two years ago when he was still a Kirlia. It was hard, but he eventually managed to get the hang of it. Soul was able to understand him because he sent his thoughts directly at her using his Psychic abilities. After a while, he unconsciously allowed his connection to expand and reach everyone, allowing them to hear him.

After putting on her shoes and wrapping her black cloak around her body, Soul pulled the hood over her head before going out to check what all the noise was. The small morning breeze blew the blonde stray hairs away from her face. As she arrived at a clearing, the young woman scanned the area. They landed on two figures: a human and a Pokémon both panting hard and each one holding a weapon.

The human was a male who was a year older than Soul. He had spiky dark blue hair and dark blue eyes that held so many mysteries, none that she was able to solve. He wore a blue tunic with the sleeves grey, blue gloves with a stone on the back of the hand, grey trousers, blue boots, and a black cape. On his head was a black hat with the top part having a blue fabric with the kingdom's symbol. This person was once Soul's mentor, but now a fellow knight and friend: Aaron. The Pokémon was Lucario, an apprentice to Aaron.

A disappointed sigh escaped Soul's lips. She was very aware of how early they train and how late they stayed up from training. The blonde woman was almost positive that neither of them had taken a break since she never saw them in their room before she left. She really wanted nothing more than to scold them for overdoing it again!

"Hey, you two!" She called out loudly as she walked over to them, hugging the cloak closer to her body. They both instinctively stood in a defensive stance. Once they saw it was Soul who called them, they let their stance down, sighing afterwards.

"Soul, why are you up so early?" Aaron asked.

"I heard noises outside which woke me up, so I went to check out what was going on and found you and Lucario... _training_ ," she explained, letting out a slightly edgy tone at the last word.

"I apologize for waking you up, Lady Fraverden," Lucario apologized and did a bow afterwards.

He, just like Gallade, knew telepathy. Soul recalled the day Lucario almost lost his marbles when he found out that Gallade could also speak telepathically the day they first met. She, along with Aaron and Gallade, were very close to Lucario, but he still had a tendency to speak formally to them, almost as if he were talking to an elite figure.

"Lucario, I told you that you don't have to be so formal toward me," Soul mumbled, giving the Aura Pokémon a casual look. "Besides, you shouldn't have to apologize to me. What you and Aaron need to do is stop your training and rest."

"Gallade told you to shut us up, huh?" Aaron questioned in the form of a statement. Soul nodded her head at him.

"Pretty much," she confirmed. "You know how he is when he doesn't get his sleep."

Gallade was never much of a morning person– er, Pokémon, which was one thing Soul had to burden herself with when they were still training with Aaron. He often complained to the point where she had to drag him out of bed or dump cold water on his head.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Aaron chuckled. "We'll just move our training somewhere else then."

"No way," Soul spoke sternly. "You and Lucario are going to bed, now."

"C'mon, let us continue our training for at least one more hour?" Aaron plead. The blonde woman sighed and wrapped the cloak around her tighter.

"As long as you two get rest, then I suppose it's fine..."

That was the last thing she said before going back to her room and returned to her slumber.

* * *

It didn't take long for the next day to arrive, much to Soul's dismay. The sun's bright rays fell through the small crack of her curtains, hitting her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows before slowly opening her eyes, revealing those sea green eyes of hers. With a small yawn, she rolled over and closed her eyes momentarily. Oh how much she wished to just go back to sleep!

As if Arceus was depriving the woman of her wish, a knock on the door kept her up. Soul sighed before getting out of her bed and made her way over to the door. She passed by her sleeping Gallade, who wasn't fazed at all by the knocking. Soul placed her hand on the doorknob and opened it, revealing one of the many maids that worked in the castle.

"Good morning, Lady Fraverden." The maid bowed. "The Queen sent me to notify you that there is a meeting scheduled for this afternoon. She expects your presence, for this is a rather serious matter."

Soul blinked in surprise. "Do you know what it is about?"

"Unfortunately no." She shook her head. "Well then, that is all I came here for. Good day, Lady Fraverden."

With that, the maid left. Soul closed the door, her hand lingering on its mahogany surface. Questions ran through her mind about the meeting coming up. Typically all meetings were scheduled ahead of time and the people attending are notified ahead of time, days being the least prior. Why was a meeting set up for this afternoon? Who would be attending? What was it even about?

Soul shook her head, her blonde locks swaying with her. Whatever the Queen had planned, she best be prepared. There was no time to be suspicious and cautious right now. All she could do was wait for the answers to come to her.

Gallade, unhappily awake, sat up from his bed and peered at his master with tired red eyes. A small yawn escaped his lips before he blinked a few times.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"From what I've been told, there's a meeting this afternoon," Soul replied. "I'm going to start getting ready for the day."

Gallade fell back against the mattress, mumbling that he was hungry. Soul rolled her eyes before leaving to the bathroom to begin running a bath. As she was getting undressed, her eyes landed on a scar that began on her collarbone and ended toward her shoulder. She brought up her hands and traced the broken skin, biting her lip when bad memories began to resurface. This scar constantly reminded her of what happened not too long ago.

Soul dropped her hand to the side and completely undressed before going into the warm bath, soothing her nerves.

It didn't take too long for her to get ready for the day. Despite being the only woman among ranks of men, she was a pretty powerful knight. The uniform she wore practically screamed power, but she knew better than to use it to her advantage. It was hard enough for her to make something out of herself among these ranks, imagine the nasty rumors that would brew if she used her power irresponsibility. Greed was the greatest sin in these times.

Soul's specific uniform consisted of black trousers with a sewn on sword belt, but her long-sleeved collared shirt was white instead of blue. Over it, she had to wear a navy blue blazer-like coat. She considered it a blazer because it was made of polyester and she also considered it a coat because it went past her mid-thighs.

The coat had the kingdom's insignia on the right shoulder sleeve, just like the normal navy blue long sleeves other soldiers wore. Soul also had to wear a black neck tab and a white and black combo cover that also had the kingdom's insignia. This unique uniform was specially requested by the Queen to differentiate her from the knights.

After putting her blonde locks into a ponytail, Soul grabbed the sheathed sword and clipped it onto her belt before leaving her room. Her grumpy Gallade followed her because he was complaining about being hungry. Once they entered the corridors, they split up. Gallade went straight to the dining table and Soul went down the hall that led to the lobby.

As she turned the corner, she sensed an aura coming her way. Out of instinct, the blonde woman placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. Something her mentor taught her was that there were no bounds when trying to be cautious. When she noticed the familiar face of the Head Knight, Soul released her grip and allowed her hand to drop.

"Good morning," the knight greeted. "How are you this fine morning, Soul?"

"I am well, Roman," she replied. "Though I can't help but wonder about the meeting scheduled for this afternoon."

"Ah, so I see you received the message as well eh?" He put a hand on his hip. "Well, I should've known better. You are a rather important soldier among ranks."

Soul couldn't help but smile a little at the comment. Roman was one of the few supporters she had in ranks. He knew she earned her spot as a higher-up, which unfortunately didn't sit right with the other soldiers. The way Roman saw it, she was a knight, woman or not, and she deserved the same respect a man received. Not only that, but she had the talent and strength to uphold her position in power.

Roman ran a hand through his dark brown locks of hair, a yawn escaping his lips. He adjusted the sword that hung loosely off his sword belt before his caramel optics met Soul's sea green eyes.

"Do you by any chance know what the meeting's about?" Soul asked.

"Based on what General Hayes told me, it has something to do with foreign affairs." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Our allies are not getting along with each other."

"That can't be good," she expressed. "Hopefully we find out more this afternoon."

"So do I kiddo, so do I." He dropped his hands to the side and gave Soul a smile. "Well then, I should get going. I have a new recruit who still needs help with drill."

"Good luck with him then." Soul smirked. "I'll see you later."

Roman placed a hand on her shoulder for a moment before taking his leave. What he said about the meeting remained fresh in her mind. So foreign affairs was the topic, but why? Hm, there was nothing she could conclude from something so vague.

Shrugging, Soul continued her way through the corridor to get to the lobby. She stopped when her eyes caught sight of a familiar room. The blonde woman peered through the crack of the door, finding Aaron knocked out on his bed. He was clearly exhausted, meaning he overdid it during last night's training with Lucario.

Shaking her head, Soul entered the room and grabbed a blanket that laid on a chair. She walked over to the bed and draped it over Aaron's sleeping body. She couldn't help but notice how peaceful his facial expression was, despite all the hard responsibilities he undergoes. He trained her and Gallade for four years and then trained his Lucario afterwards. Then adding on his job as a knight, he had so much going on.

A smile made its way onto Soul's lips as her gaze soften at Aaron. He really was one hard working man. In fact, he was more of a man than the majority of these men who had the arrogance to call themselves knights.

The blonde woman did the same for Lucario and covered him with a blanket. The Aura Pokémon flinched, but relaxed and moved into a more comfortable position. He's also a hard worker; always training on his free time and whatnot. Not much was known about Lucario, despite him being close with the aura guardians and Gallade. Still, he was considered a friend among them.

Taking one last look at the two, Soul walked out of the room with a small smile on her lips.


	3. Plan Of Action

Soul didn't have much to do for the remainder of the day until it was time for the meeting. As a Major, she fulfilled duties that her senior knights have given her, which mostly included informing troop leaders of the plan for the day. Sometimes it was easy, but other times it became difficult. A handful of troop leaders were too prideful to listen to her orders, and unfortunately for them, it resulted in injuries. Soul was no one to mess with, especially since it was difficult for misogynistic knights to recognize her as one of their own.

As much as she enjoyed it, Soul didn't have much time to train her aura. Being a Major in ranks was a huge responsibility, but that didn't mean she could slack off on aura exercises. Something she learned from her mentor was that keeping a calm and steady aura could be easier to manipulate when conducting certain movements with a weapon. In fact, experience aura guardians use it as a weapon. Soul was talented, but not enough to use her aura as a weapon on its own.

One more thing she was taught by Aaron was the concept of Aura Summoning. Aura Summoning was a skill where you're able to separate your aura from yourself and use it for self defense. However, depending on your condition, the quality varies. If you're perfectly fine, you shouldn't have any difficulty. If you're exhausted, then it would be difficult to handle.

The down side to Aura Summoning was that it wore you out both physically and mentally since it required your complete concentration and not to mention the fact that you're losing part of your soul's trait. Without aura, you might as well be a walking corpse. That's why only very few aura guardians have successfully mastered Aura Summoning. Even after her three and a half years of training, Soul was never able to hone that skill. Seeing it as a lost cause, Aaron eventually decided to drop it from the training regimen and move on with the other skills.

With everything that's been going on lately, Soul's time was limited. Something came up, but it required her full attention, especially since she found that it became personal the moment her mother's name was brought up. Just thinking about it made the blonde woman clench her fist, her long fingernails digging into the surface of her skin.

She closed her eyes momentarily, trying to calm down when those bad memories resurfaced from the void of repressed experiences. What's done was done; there's no going back to fix it. Even if that bastard of a villain slipped through her fingers, she would find him. The moment she does, she will not hesitate to bring upon him what he brought upon her mother: death.

The blonde woman reopened her eyes and stood up from her seat in the castle's library. She was there to keep herself busy by reorganizing the troop leaders' progresses of their respective company. When she was done, she closed all files and put them away in the archives, locking the cabinet with a key. Soul gave the key to the library keeper for safe keeping before leaving the library. Based on the sun's position being lower than what she recalled, it was time for her to be on her way.

Thankfully, the conference room wasn't too far from the library, but it did get confusing since the corridors on this floor were rather laid out strangely. Soul was able to recall where it was, but it annoyed her to go through a series of turns from each corner. She stood in front of the large double doors, which slightly intimidated her. All she wanted to know was what this meeting had to offer and why she was summoned for it to begin with.

"So you got summoned as well?"

Soul turned around and spotted her mentor standing there with a strained look on his face. Based on the lightly noticible bags under his eyes, she concluded that he didn't have too much time to sleep. She had to resist the urge to give him a disappointed look.

"Yes, I have," she answered.

"And let me guess." Aaron pretended to ponder the thought. "You don't know what this meeting's about either."

"Not quite, I know one thing. It has to do with Kanto's closest allies: Johto and Hoenn," Soul stated.

"That can't be good." Aaron took a step next to her and held up a fist. "Let's find out."

He used his fist to knock on the doors three times before letting it drop to the side. The two aura guardians waited a little bit longer before the doors finally opened, revealing a man in a uniform much more elite than the one Soul wore. His white, blue, and black uniform practically screamed authority. However, it was his dark brown eyes that demanded control.

This man was Lieutenant Colonel Moreno.

"You're here. Good." He opened the door wider for the two aura guardians. "Come in."

Nodding, Soul entered the large room, followed by Aaron. The blonde woman didn't fail to notice the people present at this meeting. For one thing, the Queen herself was present, which was to be expected, but not the other figurehead of the country. His pure white robes and purple sole with Arceus's sign embedded on it, and the cross necklace hanging off his neck by small silver beads identified him at the holy man himself: Father Malcolm. The elder man was an advisor for the Queen as well as the person in charge of Judgment Meetings, which was a trial that declared if a person was innocent or guilty.

The two made their way toward the table and took a seat in the mass of empty chairs. Soul also took notice that Roman was present as well as the second-in-command officer himself— Major General Newman. The only person missing was the leader of all ranks, who was also Soul's boss. It was strange that he wasn't here yet, especially since he stressed being on time for every meeting. He'd get on you if you were late and he never held back.

Soul's attention was grabbed when she heard the sound of the double doors opening again. Everyone stood up, spotting a man whose uniform was decorated with badges of honor and medals given to him by the Queen and Holy Father. Just his presence was enough to intimidate any knight, but not Soul. He's an outstanding leader, but his misogyny brought down her respect for him.

The intimidating presence was none other than General Hayes.

"I apologize for being late," he announced. "I had to show our guest the way here."

General Hayes took a few steps to the right and revealed an important man making his way in. Soul took this time to get a good look at this man. He seemed to be about the age of twenty three. He had neatly combed chocolate brown hair, but what made him really stand out were his stunning icy blue eyes. If anything, she'd say they were his best feature.

The man's attire consisted of a simple business outfit, which consisted of a white collared dress shirt with a velvet grey vest over it, a navy blue bow tucked in the vest, a simple black coat, navy blue trousers and leather brown boots that almost reached his knees. He gave everyone a once over, his icy blue eyes locking with Soul's sea green optics for a moment. A faint blush dusted across his cheeks before he looked away. The blonde woman rose an eyebrow at him. What was that all about?

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Leon Gardiner. He is the representative of Azure Village." General Hayes introduced, motioning to the brunette male.

"Hello everyone," Leon greeted, followed by a quick bow in respect to the important people in the room. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is—"

"Ah, it seems I've arrived late!"

All heads turned to the door once again, only this time a man and two knights accompanied him. His cool mint green eyes stood out from his fair complexion. People with those eyes tend to appear cold, but this young man radiated a kind of warmth that made him come off as friendly. His platinum blonde hair was parted elegantly, which went well with the fancy white suit he wore.

The young man dismissed the knights from the room, assuring them that he'd be fine from here. Soul couldn't help but feel as though she'd seen his face before, but that would be impossible. She had never once seen him before in her life, yet his face held some familiarity.

"I see you've made it here after all. Next time, please knock before you enter," Father Malcolm scolded.

"My apologies, Grandfather." The young man bowed.

"No need for apologies, Elliot my boy. Just take a seat."

The young man, Elliot, took the only empty seat next to his grandfather. Soul couldn't help but be surprised a little having been revealed the connection between Father Malcolm and Elliot. Now she understood why he looked rather familiar.

"Your Grace, I mean no disrespect toward you or your family, but why is Duke Belray in this meeting?" General Hayes questioned.

"My grandson is in charge of anything related to foreign affairs, which this meeting is about." Father Malcolm's face twisted seriously. "We've been caught in a middle of a huge battle between our allies."

"What do you mean?" Soul asked.

"Why don't we begin the meeting officially?" Queen Rin looked over at Leon.

"Yes of course, Your Highness." The brunette man stood up from his seat. "People in Azure Village have been reporting violent fights. According to witnesses, these people aren't native to Kanto— they're foreigners. They say that the people fighting wore armor, but each having different symbols on the chest. One bore the symbol of the Legendary Bird Trio while the other bore the symbol of the Earth Creators."

"Johto and Hoenn," Lieutenant Colonel Moreno concluded. "Those are their respective national symbols."

Roman couldn't help but gasp. "You're telling me Kanto's allies are having conflict on _our_ own grounds?!"

"It gets worse," Elliot added, his face darkening. "I've received letters from each nation's respecting leaders asking for aid in their battle. In other words, they're having Kanto choose a side."

"Just a few days ago, I received progress reports on my scouting company. They say that they've found foreigners from Johto and Hoenn arguing or having a fight to the death."

"This is bad," Soul commented without hesitation. "Why are they making Kanto, an ally, choose a side? Most importantly, why are they having battles on our territory? To me, it appears as though we are getting dragged into a fight that has nothing to do with us."

"Major Fraverden has a point," Lieutenant Colonel Moreno inputted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I agree with them," General Hayes added, glancing at his knights for a brief moment. "We cannot assume that those activities are not going to have a negative effect on both our citizens and as well as Kanto. Remember what happened years ago with that one fight that occurred in this very conference room? Remember what happened after that?"

Queen Rin's eyes widened slightly before she dropped her gaze down to her lap, sadness clearly reflecting in her hazel eyes. Soul's eyes hardened as well. She thought they all knew what General Hayes was referring to.

"War," Soul recalled, her eyes darkening.

"Exactly," he confirmed.

"Mr. Gardiner," Aaron called out to the brunette. "Do you perhaps know when these fights started occurring?"

"Actually, yes. They started almost a month ago," he replied

Just a month ago huh? Think Soul, why would disputes be occurring out of nowhere like this? Could it be like last time? A difference in beliefs and morality? Or simply because one did something to upset the other? Hm, it seemed like the answer would remain unknown for a while. All they could do for now was gather more details about this national dispute.

"Fights do not just happen out of the blue," Soul remarked, catching everyone's attention. "And they most certainly do not drag allies into an unwanted battle. Behind every fight, there is a reason to it, no matter how stupid it may be. A single fight can spark a war, something we do not wish to repeat. I can say it is safe to assume that there is a reason, or reasons, for what is happening."

"With all do respect, Major," Roman inputted, his face completely serious. "We have no way in finding out the reason for them. As a matter of fact, we have almost nothing to go on. What is the point in solving a mystery without a single lead? It would be like baking a cake without the recipe— you cannot make one if you have not the slightest clue for what ingredients you will need."

Soul placed her chin in between her thumb and index finger, seeming deep in thought. Roman had a good point; they pretty much had no leads to find out the reason behind these fights. They couldn't just overlook this either— something must be done. They're speaking of a string of fights that may eventually lead to drastic measures such a war on Kanto grounds. That's the last thing this country needed.

"I say we dispatch a squad and gather as much intel as we can as soon as possible," Aaron suggested. "We don't want another war in our hands, do we?"

He was right; Kanto didn't need another war to happen. The last war they had cost the lives of many innocent people because of the lack of reason and morality of selfish people. Power hungry leaders also contributed to war, all for the purpose of overthrowing the Queen from her throne. Soul looked over at Queen Rin, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"We must do something before this gets out of hand," Roman expressed out loud. Suddenly, Queen Rin abruptly stood up.

"Okay, I have come to a conclusion," she announced.

"What do you suggest, Your Highness?" Father Malcolm asked.

"Today, we put together a six man squad: three from Rota and three for Indigo Palace. That way we have a balanced team that share equal information. Then, we have them travel around Kanto and start collecting information," Queen Rin claimed, a victorious smirk on her face.

"What a wonderful idea!" Father Malcolm smiled. "Elliot, do you have any objections to this plan of action?"

"Not at all, Grandfather." Elliot smiled. "As a matter of fact, I know three knights who are perfect for the job."

"May I recommend Sir Aaron and Major Fraverden for this mission?" General Hayes inputted.

"Yes!" the Queen beamed. "Now we just need one more knight and our end is complete."

Soul was very surprised that General Hayes signed her up all of the sudden. She and Aaron were going to be part of this mission, along with three others from Indigo Palace? Great, she just hoped they weren't as misogynistic and prejudice as the men among these ranks, but that would be too much to ask for.

"Soul, Aaron, you two will get more information about this mission later on, I promise. Also, do not forget to mention this to both Lucario and Gallade. They will be accompanying you since they are your partner Pokémon. Now, I officially declare this meeting to be over. You are all dismissed," the Queen announced.

Oh brother, what was Soul signed up for?


	4. Assignment

Many thoughts ran through Soul's mind when she left the conference room once the Queen dismissed everyone. She quickly made her way out of the castle to take a breather after that rather intense meeting. Just like how she had hoped for in the beginning, she got her questions answered. However, more responsibility was placed on her shoulders, one that may be heavy. She wouldn't know what role she'd fulfill until the next meeting, one that General Hayes was going to host for the two aura guardians and their Pokémon.

Before she could get further away from the conference room after she left, a hand placed itself upon her shoulder. The blonde woman became stiff and looked over her shoulder, only for her sea green optics to meet with alluring dark blue ones. Aaron dropped his hand from her shoulder, giving her a stern look.

"Walk with me," he ordered.

Soul shrugged before the two walked together aimlessly around the castle. A few of the maids and servants eyed them curiously, but continued their work nonetheless. Soul noticed this and couldn't hold back the urge to roll her eyes. People could be quite nosey and assume anything that filled their imagination.

Despite this, the blonde woman remained professional and distracted herself by recalling what happened at the meeting. Johto and Hoenn were on the verge of having a full-on war, but they're both seeking aid from Kanto, who had nothing to do with whatever they're fighting about. There were too many possibilities to go off of, but there was no certainty they were right. In fact, there wasn't much to go off of since there was no reason behind it. Well, there wasn't one yet anyway.

Not only that, but it was up to her and Aaron, along with this new formation of knights, to figure out why. That was their sole purpose of this mission she was burdened with, but she was unaware of what role she'd play in this game of tactics and strategy.

"Well, what did you think of what happened in there?" Aaron asked.

"About the conflict between Johto and Hoenn and how they may be waging war on our territory? Well, I want to help stop it at any cost." Soul's eyes hardened. "About General Hayes volunteering us to be part of a mission without our consent? Annoyed."

"Well, we never get a say in whether or not we want to go on a mission or not. This is General Hayes we're talking about after all," Aaron stated. The blonde woman crossed her arms over her chest.

"Still, he's unbelievable. How could he do that without at least letting us know in advanced?"

Aaron slowed his walking into a halt, which Soul eventually followed. Confused, the blonde woman turned around and looked at her mentor.

"Don't let these little things get to you, Soul. He may have promoted you to Major, but remember that he won't hesitate to take it away if you defy him. You know how he is, so don't fall for it," Aaron advised wisely.

Soul couldn't help but relax at her mentor's words. He was right— she shouldn't let General Hayes egg her like this and she shouldn't let things like these get to her. He may have been the one to give her that rank, but she never forgot the reason why: she earned it.

"You're right." She looked away. "It's just... After what happened a few months ago I—"

"No need to bring up what you don't wish to remember." Aaron smiled kindly at her. "I know you're still healing. Just know that if there's anything you would like to get off your chest, I'm here for you."

Soul couldn't help but smile genuinely at her mentor. Even during her rigorous training as an aura guardian and as a knight, he was the only one she truly opened up to. He was there for her when everyone else pushed her down as she climbed to the very top.

"Thank you," she spoke quietly. "I'll see you later."

Aaron nodded and with that, Soul made her way back to her room. Her smile never left as those words from her mentor rang through her ears.

* * *

"What?! Seriously?!" Gallade exclaimed, clearly surprised by the news given to him after the meeting.

"Yeah," Soul confirmed. "It's going to consist of a six man squad, three from Rota and three from Indigo Palace."

"And General Hayes signed you and Aaron up just like that?" he asked.

The blonde woman nodded her head, still annoyed that he did that. What the hell kind of move was that? She should have a say in it, but no. As soon as he mentioned their names, Queen Rin was on board with it. Couldn't he have at least ask her before making such a decision?

Besides, it's not like she had a choice in the matter. If she did, she would be disobeying her superior and hurting her reputation as a knight and aura guardian. Once General Hayes made up his mind, it was hard to convince him otherwise.

"The least he could've done was ask..." Soul mumbled, annoyance clear in her voice.

"Eh, what are you gonna do."

Soul sighed and stood up from her bed, stretching a little as she did so. She gazed out her window for a bit, seeing the sun shine brightly against the clear blue sky.

"There's nothing I can do." She shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if he purposely promoted me to Major just so he can keep me wrapped around his finger."

"Aw c'mon Soul, don't think like that. You and I both know you earned your rank. Who cares what everyone else thinks and what General Hayes does, you're the one in charge when they're not around, okay?" Gallade grinned.

Soul grinned a little bit at her Pokémon. If he wasn't around when she was younger, who knew what would've became of her?

"Thanks buddy," she said.

* * *

It was about five o'clock in the afternoon the next day when Soul and Gallade were summoned by General Hayes and Queen Rin. It's about time they received more information about this mission they were signed up for. As much as she wanted to yell at General Hayes for signing her up without her consent, Soul needed to bite her tongue and suck it up. It's been decided, so there was no going back on it now. Besides, her reputation and rank were at stake if she stepped out of line.

Once they arrived at the conference room, Soul knocked on the door three times. After a few seconds, General Hayes opened the door and allowed them in. Aaron and Lucario were already seated, along with Queen Rin and someone else. It was a knight who Soul believed she'd seen around the castle before. Seated on the tiled floor next to his seat was a Houndoom, who appeared to be pretty bored.

This must be the third knight who would accompany them on the mission, along with the other knights from Indigo Palace. The knight had curly black hair that was hastily slicked back and a pair of dark brown eyes. He wore the standard uniform that affiliated him with the Medic Company, the one that Lieutenant Colonel Moreno commanded.

Soul also noticed that the knight had a scar that went over his left eye and eyebrow. After taking a good look at him, the blonde woman took a seat in one of the empty chairs and Gallade sat next to her. Different folders and documents were scattered around the table. After they took their seats, General Hayes walked over and sat down at his own seat.

"Alright, first things first," he spoke as he faced the unknown knight. "Introduce yourself."

"Aye, sir." The knight nodded before standing up from his seat, glancing at Aaron, Soul and their Pokémon as well.

"I am Second Class Knight, Axel Rosario, from the Medic Company. Pleasure to meet you," he introduced before motioning to his Houndoom next to him. "This is my Pokémon partner, Houndoom."

Axel and his Houndoom executed a slight bow before sitting down. He didn't seem bad so far. Soul really hoped he wasn't like those other misogynistic bastards from the majority of the other companies.

"I am Major Soul Fraverden," she presented before motioned to Gallade. "This is my partner, Gallade."

"I am known as Sir Aaron," he introduced and motioned to Lucario. "This is my partner, Lucario."

"Pleasure to meet you." Lucario bowed with respect.

Soul saw Axel's eyes widened when Lucario used his telepathy to speak. General Hayes cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention as he grabbed a file that was in front of him. The blonde woman watched in anticipation as he scanned the file's content. She really wanted to know what this mission was going to have them do, who would accompany them through it, where they would go, and how long it would take to complete.

After a moment of skimming through the file's content, General Hayes looked back at all of them, his brown eyes appearing more serious than ever. Now Soul was beginning to get a little nervous.

"This mission requires a six man squad to travel around Kanto and gather intel on the cause of conflict between our allies: Johto and Hoenn. The information I shall reveal to you will also be informed to the three knights from Indigo Palace. Before I begin, are there any questions?"

He glanced at everyone for a split second, making sure that everyone was following along. The silence was clear enough to give away that everyone was well aware of what he was talking about.

"Your mission will require the six man squad to travel to the following places: Heiwa Town, Azure Village, Nebesa Town, Viridian Village, Pewter Village, and Sirena's Island. According to Duke Belray and the respective representatives, these are the places where there have been reports of foreigners fighting, and in some cases, arrested. You must bring back information from every location, even if it is just a little. Anything will help. Jot down any new information in a notebook."

"Sir," Axel interrupted, causing General Hayes to narrow his eyes at him. "Why must we have to write down the information on a notebook?"

Soul didn't mind knowing that herself. Wouldn't it be easier if they sent him the information through Pidgey Carrier?

"We cannot afford to have information on a possible incoming war going out to the public. If someone were to get their hands on that information, we're going to have a panic spread throughout all of Kanto, which could lead to total chaos." General Hayes explained.

Hm, it seemed understandable. But still, it would be a troublesome process of keeping a notebook full of classified information. There could be a situation where someone loses it on accident or there can be an ambush where they'd have to give it up in exchange for someone's life.

"As I was saying," he continues. "You must keep a notebook of everything you've found out about this case. Protect that information with your life as you continue on through this mission. It will not be over until the whole team comes back into this castle. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the knights spoke in unison.

"Okay, moving on." He placed down the documents he read previously for a file and opened it. "As you recall, three of Indigo's knights and their partner Pokémon will be accompanying you during this mission. Remember, even if we have alliance with them, they are still allowed to do things their way. However, since this mission requires more care than anything else, the Duke has agreed to have us assign a captain for this new squad."

General Hayes closed his eyes and placed the files down onto the table. He reopened them and looked directly at Soul. A feeling of dread came over her as she saw what he was inquiring with his eyes alone. Great, she should have known.

"Major Fraverden, I am assigning you as captain of this squad. Prove to me that you are worthy of your rank as Major. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, trying to hold back any comments that may get her demoted. Anger boiled inside her, but she tried her best to repress it.

"Excellent." He nodded with satisfaction before closing the file in his hands. "We are finished for now." General Hayes looked at Queen Rin as he put down the file.

"Anything to add, Your Highness?" he asked her.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," she claimed before looking back at the knights. "I have heard from Father Malcolm that Duke Belray has already sent three of his knights on there way here. If anything, they should arrive tonight or early in the morning tomorrow. As soon as they get here, you will all be on your way to the first place of investigation. I recommend you start packing your stuff after getting dismissed."

The three knights all nodded their heads in agreement. It's true, might as well be ready just in case. Besides, some of them didn't know what they were going to pack.

"Okay, this meeting is now over. You are all dismissed!"

With that, everyone stood up and left the conference room. Aaron caught sight to Soul angrily marching back to her room, her Gallade running after her. He couldn't help but sigh a little, hoping she would remember to remain calm and not let this get to her.

"Um, is she going to be okay?"

Aaron looked over his shoulder to find Axel standing there and watching the direction Soul went off to. He waved it off, knowing his ex-student well enough to know she'd relax soon enough.

"She'll be fine," the aura guardian assured him. "She just needs to process the fact that she'll be leading all of us on this important mission."

"Okay well... I don't know her that well, so I'll take your word for it," Axel said.


	5. Three Knights

"Major, time to wake up. The other knights from Indigo Palace are coming," Soul heard a voice say.

The blonde woman groaned slightly while furrowing her eyebrows. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the bright sunlight. Soul turned herself to the side and spotted a maid standing next to her bed. Normally, she'd make a comment about a maid walking into a person's room without knocking, but then she recalled that this maid was still fairly new.

Besides, that was of lesser matter compared to the occasion today.

"Okay." Soul yawned. "Thank you for waking me."

"You're very welcome." She smiled. "I shall take my leave now."

After the maid left, Soul went into the bathroom to brush her teeth before changing out of her nightgown and into her uniform, standard daily routine. However, today was no mere ordinary day.

Today would be the day she would leave the castle and go on a lengthy journey for a mission.

The thought of it may have seemed intimidating at first, but Soul couldn't afford to be nervous, especially since she was burdened with the responsibility of leading it. It wasn't going to be an easy task, but she wasn't going to give up. She had a role to fulfill, be it as a knight or an aura guardian.

Once she finished putting her blonde hair into its standard ponytail, Soul went over to Gallade's bed. The Blade Pokémon was sprawled out on the bed snoring obnoxiously loud, much to the blonde woman's dismay. She didn't want to resort to using the water bucket, but if it was the only way, then so be it.

"Rise and shine, Gallade. Time to wake up. Oh, and I won't give any chances to avoid the water bucket," she called out, shaking his shoulders.

To her surprise, Gallade woke up immediately and sat up without falling back asleep. Perhaps he was actually taking this mission seriously, which was rather rare. Soul should give the Blade Pokémon more credit.

"I'm up, no need for the water bucket," he assured as he got out of bed. "Thank Arceus that thing isn't coming with us..."

"You're right," Soul pondered while attaching her sheathed sword onto the clips of her belt. "Remind me to use regular water as a substitution in case you grow back into your old habit along the way."

"As if I'd ever do that," he scoffed, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Yeah yeah, I know." She rolled her eyes. "Now c'mon and let's go eat before we have to leave."

Gallade nodded his head and they both went to the enormous dining room. While Gallade was basically inhaling majority of what was served, Soul stayed in her place and lightly picked on her food. She didn't really have an appetite in the mornings and usually only ate late. Roman and the Queen got on her about it, saying that it was rather unhealthy, but it's something she couldn't necessarily fix. She tried forcing herself to eat breakfast at a reasonable time, but then she became sick.

For today, she managed to barely eat half of her breakfast. It was enough for her and she didn't want to bother to try and eat more. Besides, she had a lot on her mind regarding today. Soul told Gallade that she'd be outside talking a walk through the garden before getting up from her seat and leaving the dining room.

The garden was Soul's favorite spot in the castle. There were no knights giving her judgmental looks, no maids gossiping about how she received her position, and no generals bossing her around. All that surrounded her were beautiful flowers that captured her eyes, beautiful flowers that calmed her down.

What she wasn't expecting was another person admiring a patch of white lilies.

"Axel?" Soul called out, startling the black haired knight. He quickly turned around and became stiff, relaxing a little when he spotted the blonde woman.

"Oh, Major Fraverden." He sighed deeply. "You almost gave me a heart attack..."

"My apologies. It's just that I don't see many knights even approach the garden," she said as she made her way over to him. "I'm surprised you're here though."

"Most knights wouldn't be caught dead here, too prideful and afraid to lose their masculinity if they do." Axel laughed as he gave his attention to the white lilies again. "Unlike them, I enjoy flowers. They bring beauty to such an ugly world."

Soul couldn't help but be surprised yet impressed by Axel's words. He was right about knights not being caught dead in the gardens in fear of losing whatever they called masculinity. That's why she wasn't expecting someone like Axel to even be here to begin with. In fact, she wasn't expecting him to pay so close attention to the white lilies.

The blonde woman glanced at Axel's face, spotting a look of longing and pensive loneliness. She couldn't help but wonder why the white lilies made him react that way. In her case, the only time she felt that way was when she thought about her mother.

Unconsciously, Soul's hand made its way to her chest, where her mother's necklace was hanging from. It was all she had left of her and it made Soul miss her more whenever she took the time of day to really look at it.

Perhaps that was what Axel was going through, but Soul didn't wish to pry into his background. He wouldn't have done that to her if the situation were reversed.

"Maybe we should get back to the castle," Soul suggested. "Perhaps the Trinity would like to brief us on the knights that are on there way right now."

"... Of course." Axel brushed passed Soul and made his way into the castle. The blonde woman was caught off guard, but caught up with him nonetheless.

* * *

The knights from Indigo Palace didn't take long to arrive, meaning that the mission would finally begin once they arrive. Soul was a little nervous being the one to lead them, but it didn't keep her from keeping her manner professional. Once they gathered their things, the Rota Knights headed off to the front gates. General Hayes, Queen Rin, and Roman were there as well.

"The Indigo Knights have arrived."

There, making their way to the front gates, were three figures and three Pokémon. Soul stood straight and put on her best composure of superiority she could muster up. Everyone got aligned as the knights walked closer and closer. After a few minutes or so, they were right there in front of them: the three knights and their Pokémon.

"Greetings," one of them addressed, the Arcanine standing next to him holding its head high. "We are the knights of Indigo Palace."

"Duke Belray has sent us to accompany your knights on a classified mission. We are here to assist you in this mission," another knight with a Lunatone by his side added.

Was it just Soul, or did his voice sound a bit high pitched than the average male?

"Yes, we welcome you all to Rota!" Queen Rin greeted, bowing slightly to the knights in a respectful manner.

As Queen Rin and General Hayes were talking to the three knights, Soul took this opportunity to get a good look at them. They were all male, each one with an Arcanine, Lunatone and Mightyena as their partners. The first two seemed easy to get along with. However, their friend was a whole different story. Let's start with the first one.

The first knight with the Arcanine had spiky blonde hair and light blue eyes. He seemed to be at least the same age as Soul or perhaps a year younger. There was a scar that decorated his right eyebrow. He wore a complete body of armor, but through the gaps Soul saw that he wore a dark blue long sleeved shirt with gold details on the sleeve and black trousers. A sheathed sword with a white hilt hung about on his belt while a bag was slung over his left shoulder.

The second knight with the Lunatone appeared rather feminine with his big brown eyes and short white hair with the fringes framing his delicate looking face. He wore armor on his arms and chest only. He had on dark blue trousers, a black shirt, and brown ankle boots. The knight had a sheathed samurai sword that was slung on his back at an angle and a bag in his hand.

Last but not least, the third knight with the Mightyena had short and spiky black hair and dark grey eyes. He was really tall and well built, giving Soul the impression that he was way older than any of them and most likely had more experience in the battlefield. What differed him from the rest of them was that he didn't wear any armor at all. Instead, he wore baggy red trousers and a black robe-like top that was tied with a white belt. He had two sheathed machetes in an X formation on his back and his bag was resting off his left shoulder.

What an interesting bunch.

General Hayes nodded at them then turned his attention to Soul, giving her the silent signal to introduce herself. The blonde woman took a step forward and glanced at each one of her new teammates. They all had determination blazing in their eyes, giving her the impression that they were ready to tackle this mission head on. After introducing herself to them, Aaron and Axel did the same thing. Now it was their turn to introduce themselves.

"I am First Class Knight, Blake Chadwick. Pleasure to meet you all." He saluted afterwards.

"Good morning, I am Second Class Knight, Akira Minami. I am looking forward to work with all of you," he addressed, giving them a bow at the waist afterwards.

"I am Silver Knight, Mark Desai. It is an honor to work with three of Rota's greatest knights," he introduced, taking a tiny bow just like Akira did.

"Now that introductions are out of the way," General Hayes spoke. "It is time to review your objective."

Everybody's attention turned to him now. General Hayes glanced at each and every one of them before he started talking.

"Your mission is to collect information regarding the pending war between Johto and Hoenn. Write down anything you find out in a notebook and guard it with your life. You are required to travel to Heiwa Town, Azure Village, Nebesa Town, Viridian Village, Pewter Village, and Sirena's Island. When you are done, return to Rota with that notebook filled with new information. Your mission is not over until you have all stepped foot into the castle's premises with that notebook and return it to me. Is that clear?!"

The six of us all saluted and shouted, "Yes sir!"

"Excellent." General Hayes nodded with satisfaction. "Major Soul Fraverden, you are captain of this squad. Show me why I have given you the rank of Major. Is that understood?!"

"Yes sir!" she replied.

"Wait what?!" she heard Blake splurge out. "Our captain is going to be a woman?!"

Soul's eyes hardened slightly as those words left his mouth. Was she already going to have a problem with him? Does he have a problem with her being in charge?

"Is that a problem?" General Hayes asked as he rose an eyebrow at him. "Duke Belray did inform you all that there was going to be a female aura guardian within this squad, did he not?"

"Y-Yes sir, it's just that..." Blake trailed off. "He never mentioned that she was going to be captain."

"Just deal with it Blake," Akira snapped at him, elbowing him in the chest. "She will be our captain, so what?"

"Don't you think someone like, oh I don't know, Mark would be better suited for that role?"

"Excuse me?!" Soul snapped, facing Blake with a stern glare.

"Don't you dare go dissing my master bub, or I'll deal with you myself!" Gallade shouted, startling Blake even more.

"No need for conflict, Major Fraverden," Mark's deep voice piped in, stopping the incoming fight between Blake and Soul. He turned over to his blonde comrade with a stern look. "I appreciate the concern Blake, but I have no interest in being captain of this squad. As long as we do our objective, it does not matter who is leading the group."

"But—"

"Quit it Blake, do you want to get on her bad side already?!" Akira scolded him.

It sure didn't take much to leave an awful first impression to Soul. In fact, this was probably the fastest time the blonde woman had found herself disliking someone.

"Alright then, as General of Rota's battalion, I now allow you to leave and begin this mission. You are all dismissed!" he yelled and saluted.

"Aye sir!" we yelled in unison before turning around and began walking.

Before Soul could take a step away, a hand placed itself on her shoulder. She looked up and found Roman looking at her with sad eyes. The feeling welled in the pit of her stomach as well. Aside from Aaron, he was the only other night she grew close to. In fact, he was the closest thing she had to a father.

Roman helped her when the other knights refused to because of her gender. He taught her other skills Aaron couldn't teach her such as leadership and comradeship. When she got promoted to Major, he was beyond happy for her. She grew up, and now she's off to handle business the way she saw fit.

"Stay safe out there, kiddo." He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. "Come back in one piece, okay? And don't let all those men treat you like trash because you're probably more of a man than any of them."

Soul couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah," she spoke as she returned the hug. "I promise."

They pulled away from the hug, as much as they didn't want to. Roman gave her one last smile before retreating back to the castle to handle his business as Head Knight.

As she took a could of steps forward, Soul looked back and saw Queen Rin looking at her with sad eyes. She was probably regretting allowing her to go on this mission knowing that she'll be gone for Arceus knows how long. Soul flashed her a genuine smile and waved, to which the Queen smiled back at and also waved. After that, the blonde woman turned back around and began to walk with the newly formed squad.

The Queen shouldn't have to worry about her, she'll come back.

Someday.


	6. Miscommunication

The newly formed six man squad began their journey to their first destination: Heiwa Town. Out of all the places that were listed on Kanto's map, Heiwa Town was the closest to Rota. However, the journey from Rota to Heiwa would be approximately four to six hours by foot, two to three hours by Ponyta carriage. Unfortunately, traveling via Ponyta carriage would attract unnecessary attention. Therefore, there was no choice but to travel by foot no matter how long the journey may be.

In the front was none other than Soul Fraverden. Walking along next to her was her strong but lazy partner, Gallade. Behind her were Axel, his Houndoom, Aaron, and Lucario. In the back were Mark, his Mightyena, Akira, his Lunatone, Blake, and his Arcanine. After that little slip up back before the squad left Cameran Palace, Blake decided it was best to keep his distance from Soul.

He didn't mean to sound disrespectful toward her; it was an accident on his part. As a matter of fact, Blake respected the blonde woman. He heard a rumor of a woman joining the ranks in Rota while he was still going through boot camp. Blake found this rumor to be false. However, after he was given this mission and looking over the information of his new comrades, Blake was confronted with the now factual rumor.

Not only was she ranked Major, which was a hard rank to obtain on its own, but she was also an aura guardian. That's a huge achievement for a woman like her to accomplish during this era. Blake wasn't the only one who had high respect for Soul, but also Mark and Akira. That's why they gave him a good scolding for slipping up like that. He should've learned self control back at boot camp.

"Hey, Akira?" Blake uttered quietly, catching the white haired knight's attention.

"What do you want, Blake?" he questioned his blonde comrade.

"Do you think Major is mad at me for my outburst earlier?"

"I can't blame her if she was." Akira sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You pretty much disregarded her because she's a woman. In my book, that's a sign of disrespect."

"Not so fast, Akira," Mark spoke up, catching said male's attention as well as Blake's. "Major Fraverden may seem like the kind of person to become easily upset, but she doesn't seem like the kind of person to hold a grudge over something as petty as that."

"I can tell being disregarded because she's a woman is a touchy subject for her. I mean, after the death of her parents, she had to make a living off of a job that would've been way out of her league. She had to work hard to get through this world all on her own," Akira argued, closing his brown eyes momentarily. "On top of that, she has no family. She had no one to turn to when she needed help. She had to solve every problem on her own."

Blake's gaze dropped to the ground as everyone continued walking. His Arcanine seemed to have picked up on his sudden change of mood. The canine like Pokémon let out a small bark, catching the blonde knight's attention. Arcanine gave him a worried look. Blake just smiled at his partner and placed a hand on the Pokémon's head.

"Don't worry, Arcanine. I'm fine," he assured, petting the Arcanine's shaggy, beige fur. He then looked back at his two teammates with a small grin.

"I'll apologize to Major when I have a chance," he decided, sending Mark and Akira a closed eyed smile. "After all, we're comrades from here on out."

Mark nodded his head at Blake's words while Akira looked satisfied with Blake's answer. He was right when he said that Soul was a comrade from here on out, same thing applied to Aaron and Axel.

Meanwhile, Soul kept walking forward. She hadn't said a word ever since the departure from Cameron Palace. Whenever Soul was this silent, it meant two things: she was very pissed off or she was thinking about something. In this case, both possibilities were fifty fifty. She was probably still mad from Blake's little slip up, but she couldn't get worked up over something like that. She learned over the years that getting mad over sexism wouldn't do you any good, but that still didn't change her mind about the subject.

As captain of this new squad, she refused to let her emotions cloud the overall objective of this mission. That's why she got over Blake's comment from earlier. Usually, she'd be upset over something like that for a while longer, but Soul was a reasonable person. She knew that Blake meant well, especially since she could sense his regret from his aura. Besides, he didn't seem like the kind of person to disregard women, so why not give him a chance?

"Hey Soul?"

The blonde woman looked to her left and saw Gallade giving her a slightly worried look. He knew about what Soul was like when she's quiet and it was also his worst nightmare. If you had seen Soul mad before, you'd understand how scary she could be, almost as scary as a demon.

"You want something, Gallade?" she asked, her eyebrow slightly raised at her Pokémon.

"I just wanted to know... are you mad?" he asked cautiously.

"No." She shook her head, confusion clear in her sea green eyes. "Why would I be?"

"Oh, no reason," Gallade said, relieved that she wasn't mad. "I just thought that Blake's comment had bothered you."

"He's right you know."

The two turned around and saw that it was Aaron who spoke. He walked up to them, Soul giving him a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You've been quiet since the start of this journey," he observed. "We assumed that Chadwick's comment had struck a nerve."

"I'm not mad about that," she tried to assure her friend. "Believe me, I'm over it."

"Then, what's the matter?" Gallade pressed on.

"It's this whole investigation, that's the matter," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Somehow, I feel like we've overlooked something, something that's a huge part of this, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Don't worry, Major," Axel assured, appearing right next to her. "We'll make sure to get our answers. Remember, we've got a lot of places to go to in order to find our answers."

"I guess you've got a point..." Soul pondered, still unsure about Axel's answer.

After that conversation, the squad still continued to walk ahead toward their destination. They still had a few more hours to go before they arrive to Heiwa Town. However, the sun had already begun to set and the wild Pokémon were beginning to prepare for their slumber. The rest of the day, the six knights and their Pokémon continued forward until the night settled upon them.

* * *

"Alright everyone," Soul announced as she stepped on a reasonable clearing. "Looks like we'll have to camp out for the night."

Blake and Akira let out a tiny groan, not liking the idea of sleeping out in the woods for the first night. Them aside, everyone else had no problem settling down for now. Well, almost everyone. Gallade let out an annoying groan as he fell to his knees. Soul sighed and placed a hand on her hip, knowing exactly what was about to come.

"I don't wanna sleep out here, it's creepy!" the Blade Pokémon whined.

Gallade's attitude caught the attention of the Indigo Palace's knights. Seeing him whine like this was going to be their first time. Boy, were they in for a surprise.

"We don't have a choice, Gallade," Soul ordered, causing Gallade to pout. "Now go pick out your spot to sleep."

"I don't wanna!" he disobeyed.

Lucario face palmed and shook his head, embarrassed at the fact that he was friends with such a childish Pokémon. Aaron laughed awkwardly, already use to Gallade's personality, while Axel just looked confused. Mark blinked a few times, registering what was going on. Axel's Houndoom and Mark's Mightyena tilted their heads to the side, unsure of what was going on as well.

"Excuse me?" Soul questioned, giving Gallade the stink eye. "Are you talking back to your captain?"

"No, I'm responding. There's a huge difference," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest with a satisfied nod.

"What the...?" Akira mumbled, watching his captain having an argument with her Pokémon.

An irk mark began to make its way onto the side of Soul's head. She was tired from all the walking and had a minor headache from thinking about that situation of hers too much. Gallade's hindrance wasn't really helping, especially with that minor headache.

"Gallade..." Soul sneered, anger clear in her voice. "I swear, if you don't follow my orders right now—"

"You'll what? Use the water bucket?" He laughed, causing Soul's anger to rise. "Well, good luck finding cold water around here to try it!"

Blake bit his tongue in order to keep himself from laughing out loud, his Arcanine doing the same thing. Watching a high ranked knight arguing with her goofy Pokémon was pretty comical.

"This..." Mark mumbled, still processing what was going on. "is the partner of Rota's powerful knight?"

"A stubborn and whiny Gallade..." Akira stated bluntly, still not believing it himself.

The two sweat dropped as Gallade started laughing obnoxiously loud, making some of the wild Pokémon scurry away. Axel looked at Aaron with a confused look on his face.

"Should we interfere?" he suggested.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Aaron replied. "You see, Soul knows what to do in order to keep Gallade in check."

Axel looked unsure of his answer, but nodded either way. Meanwhile, Soul was beginning to lose her patience with her stubborn Gallade and decided to resort to drastic measures. She didn't want to do it, but Gallade left her with no other choice.

"So, you still refuse to obey my orders?" the blonde asked, more like stated.

"Yep," Gallade replied. "I want to sleep in a nice and cozy bed with a nice and warm blanket over me."

Soul sighed as she walked over to the Blade Pokémon. Gallade was too into his fantasy of a cozy room that he didn't even notice his master right behind him. Soul brought her hand up and slammed it straight down onto his shoulder where his pressure point was. After her hand made rough contact with his shoulder, Gallade froze.

"I may not have the water bucket with me," she warned in a strict voice. "but I always find a way to make you obey me."

Gallade's legs buckled and he fell face first onto the ground. He was knocked out cold all thanks to Soul. Now that headache of hers wouldn't manifest into a migraine. It would be best if Gallade was asleep during this entire mission actually. Soul turned around and faced the rest of her teammates with a terrifying strict demeanor.

"Anyone else dare to disobey me?" she challenged. Everyone else shook their heads, which Soul was satisfied with.

"Good." She nodded. "Now everyone go choose a spot to sleep at. We'll be departing when the sun rises."

"Aye ma'am!"

After that, they all did what they were told in order to avoid getting knocked out by their captain. It wasn't just that either, everyone was exhausted from walking for four hours straight. Luckily, their journey tomorrow wouldn't take long to arrive at their first destination. As Soul was detaching her sheathed sword from the clips of her belt, Blake decided to do what he planned earlier. It was now or never.

Blake walked over to the blonde woman with a determined look on his face. He wanted to be on good terms with his captain, or at least not on her bad side. That's why he wanted to apologize to her. Once Blake got to her, he tapped her on the shoulder. Soul turned around and regarded Blake with a puzzled look her face.

"Oh, Blake," she mumbled. "May I help you with something?"

"U-Um, I–I just... I..." he stuttered, nervousness suddenly surfacing all at once. "I... uh..."

"Spit it out, Blake," Soul ordered, rubbing her left eye. "I'm pretty tired, so whatever it is you want to say just—"

"I want to apologize to you," he claimed, cutting her off.

Soul stopped rubbing her eye as those words left Blake's mouth. Apologize huh? The blonde woman lowered her hand and gave Blake her full attention.

"I'm sorry... about what I said back in Rota. I didn't mean it, I swear. It was an accident. If anything, I do respect you, Major Fraverden," he stated, his voice growing quieter as he neared the end of his sentence.

Blake looked up and made eye contact with the blonde woman, his light blue eyes meeting her sea green optics. After having a little starring contest, Soul closed them and sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know," she started. "Normally I would go off on people who make comments like that about me. As you probably already know, I have little to no patience with misogynistic pricks."

Blake's eyes widened slightly before dropping his gaze at the grassy earth, his eyes glossed with shame.

"However," Soul continued, catching Blake's attention again. "I know you mean well. After all, I was able to sense the regret from your aura. That's how I know you're sincere with your apology. You're forgiven, Blake."

Blake nodded his head, a smile visible on his face. It felt as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, a weight that had begun to burden him the moment he made his leader angry with that comment.

"Thank you... Major." He grinned, giving her a slight bow. Soul flashed him a small smile and nodded her head.

"Any time," she assured the blonde knight. "Now go get some rest. You'll be waking up pretty early tomorrow."

"Aye ma'am," he replied and left to go to his spot to sleep.

As soon as she got comfortable in her spot, Soul closed her eyes and welcomed her sleep with open arms. Tomorrow would surely be a long day.


	7. Town Of Serenity

"We're here," Soul announced as their destination came into clear view.

Heiwa Town, also known as the Town of Pure Serenity. The sky was always a soothing blue color and the people there were full of generosity. A place where there were never any form of conflict, nor was it ever a place with a generally low crime rate. It only made Soul wonder how on earth did a nice little town as that one become a setting of a fight between two foreign knights.

"Heiwa Town, the Town of Pure Serenity," Mark commented.

"Legend has it that this place was once the ground where the first War of Kanto had ever taken place," Axel informed, catching the blonde woman's attention. She hadn't heard about this before and quite frankly, she was interested. "It's said the person who stopped it wanted peace among the people, so he sacrificed his own life to grant that wish."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of that," Akira inputted. "The person had made a deal with Jirachi to grant that one wish in exchange for his life, or at least I think that's how the story goes."

A person sacrificing their life for peace among the people? That sounded a bit too extreme in Soul's opinion. From what she experienced, war would almost always be an inevitable event of humanity for centuries to come. It would make sense if this person had taken part in battle and died while defending his cause, but if it was just a civilian sacrificing their life for the sake of stopping a war and keeping peace among the people, then it might as well be classified as a lost cause.

Besides, war was an ugly thing. War would happen no matter what, and one side would always come out victorious. The only price they had to pay were the lives of the people who put their life on the line in order to defend their cause. That's why she believed that exchanging your life for something as fantastical as peace was a ludicrous thing to do. Even with peace, the people who died are still dead. There was no point.

At least, that's what she believed.

"Come on," Soul announced, glancing over at her teammates. "Let's get going."

"Ugh..." Gallade groaned obnoxiously. "Can we at least have breakfast first? I'm freakin' hungry!"

Soul stopped walking and looked over her shoulder, her eyes landing on her goofy Gallade. As soon as they made eye contact, he became startled and got into a stereotypical defensive position. The blonde woman opened her mouth to say something, but Gallade beat her to it.

"N-Never mind! I can wait!" he shrieked in a scared voice.

Strange, she wasn't going to say anything mean to him. She was just going to tell him that they'd eat when they arrive into town.

Maybe she might have taken it too far yesterday night when she knocked him out. Well, in her defense, he was disobeying her— his master and captain. Since she didn't have the water bucket with her, she had to resort to other methods.

"Okay," was all Soul replied with before she walked forward toward Heiwa Town, the rest of the squad following behind.

* * *

"Food!" Gallade exclaimed as he ran over to a nearby cafe. Lucario shook his head before walking toward the cafe.

"I shall go get him out before he does something absolutely embarrassing or something absolutely ludicrous," Lucario announced before entering the cafe himself.

Soul nodded her head, knowing completely well that Gallade couldn't be left alone for more than a few minutes before he did something very stupid. She looked back at the remaining squad members, each one waiting for her instruction.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," she began. "We'll split up into groups of two. It'll be Akira and Blake, Mark and Axel, and Aaron and I. Akira and Blake, I need you two to start asking civilians about any unusual events that might've been going on."

"Right." Blake nodded in understanding.

"Understood, ma'am." Akira nodded.

"Mark and Axel," Soul turned to the pair of men "You two are going to the local guard's post and ask them about what they've reported lately. If you can, question them about what those knights might've mentioned before engaging in a fight."

"Aye ma'am!" Axel saluted, while Mark nodded his head in agreement.

"What will you do, Major?" Akira asked.

"Aaron and I will go to Heiwa's Law House and speak with the representative there. We have until night time before wrapping things up here," Soul explained.

"We'll be meeting up at the inn when it gets dark out here. After that, we'll rest up before moving on toward our next destination," Aaron informed further.

"Right!"

"Good." The blonde woman nodded. "Now move out."

With that, Akira, Blake, Axel, Mark and their Pokémon all went their separate ways. As they left, a bell chimed from the café that was not too far away from her and Aaron. Soul rolled her eyes and sighed when she saw Lucario coming out of the café, pulling Gallade from the waist. Gallade was flailing around as he tried to reach for the door, but couldn't. Oh Arceus, what was she going to do with him?

"I apologize, Major Fraverden." Lucario sighed, still holding onto Gallade so he wouldn't escape. "Gallade here kept bothering the establishment and demanded three dozen spicy poffins from the workers. I had to resort to force in order to get him out."

The blonde woman let out a 'tch' and face palmed at her Pokémon's immaturity. Was she going to have to keep him on a leash or something?

"It's alright, Lucario. You did what you had to do," she mumbled, no longer having the patience to deal with this.

He nodded his head at her reply. Soul walked over to Gallade and gave him 'the look', giving off the vibe that he was in trouble.

"As for you, _mister_ ," she began to scold while peering at him. "You're not getting any of those precious spicy poffins until after we've successfully done our part of the mission. Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes ma'am..." he mumbled, looking rather defeated.

The blonde woman sighed before her stomach let out a quiet, but attention catching growl. An embarrassed blush made its way onto her face as the rest of her team for the day looked at her, and it was especially embarrassing that Aaron heard it. She gave them a nervous closed eyed smiled and tried to ignore the heat rushing to her ears.

"S-So... Anyone up for breakfast?"

* * *

After getting something to eat, they all made their way to the Law House of Heiwa Town. It was located near this beautiful shrine where it was said that the person who sacrificed himself was buried. As much as Soul would love to check it out, she couldn't. General Hayes, Lieutenant Colonel Moreno, and Major General Newman had informed her that any sight seeing was forbidden unless it had a connection to the scope of the mission. Even though they're not there to watch her, she was not going to risk getting demoted.

After passing the Xander Shrine, they finally made it to the front of the Law House. It was huge, the solid white walls and surrounding golden gate giving off a strict security vibe. As they got closer to the gate, Soul noticed there were two guards standing near the gate's entrance. She mentally sighed as they arrived at the gate's entrance.

"State your name and business," one of the guards demanded of them.

"Soul Fraverden, Major of the Rota Knights," Soul answered with a calm tone. "We are here to have a word with the representative of Heiwa Town, if that is alright with you."

"Rota, huh?" the other one questioned. "Yes, the representative has informed us that we might get visitors from the Cameran Palace under orders from the Queen herself."

"However, he also informed us that we must escort you to his office," the first guard inputted.

"I understand," she answered.

He took out a ring of keys from his belt and singled out the key that opened the gate. After unlocking the gate, he opened it wide enough for her, Aaron, Lucario, and Gallade to enter.

"You may pass."

Soul nodded her head and passed through the gap, her team and the guard following right after. The guard walked up to the front and they all followed him toward the Law House. She really hoped they find something there.

* * *

Akira growled lowly at Blake as the blond continued laughing at the ivory haired knight's drenched figure laying on the wet concrete floor. Blake's Arcanine shook his head at his goofball of a master while Akira's Lunatone remained silent. Blake thought it would be funny to trip his partner for the day, so he did. What he hadn't seen was the huge puddle of water in front of the poor lad. Akira swore that the blond idiot would drive him to the breaking point.

"Man that was rich, hahaha!" He laughed, clutching his stomach.

He gritted his teeth as he stood up from the wet concrete and tried to get off any excess water. Once he was left with just wet trousers, Akira turned his attention to Blake, who was still laughing his ass off. The white haired male stormed right up to him and grabbed him roughly by the collar, pulling Blake closer to him. His big brown eyes glared daggers at him, which caused Blake to halt his laughter.

"What the hell was that for?!" Akira screamed at his face.

"Oh come on, Akira. I was just messing around. Don't take it personally." He chuckled, flashing his partner a goofy grin.

How this guy got ranked First Class Knight, Akira would never know.

The white haired knight let out a sigh before shoving the blond idiot away from him. Blake stumbled back slightly, but caught his balance before he could fall over. Though, Akira wouldn't mind him falling over, especially near that pile of Rattata crap adjacent to him.

"Yeah well, this isn't a time to be messing around. Major gave us orders and we need to do them before nightfall," Akira stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Chill out dude, it's still noon. We have a lot of time in our hands. Besides, who said we can't have fun?" Blake asked.

"I say!" he snapped as he glared at the blond. "Now quit your childish games and let's start asking around for any weird activities that might have been going around."

Lunatone and Akira began to walk forward, not even bothering to wait for Blake. He couldn't believe he got stuck with such an idiot for this assignment from his captain. He'd much rather prefer Mark. Sure, he's serious and boring, but Akira would take that over Blake any day. It's bad enough they're stuck with each other for Arceus knows how long. Now he'd have to put up with Blake's childish antics during times like these.

Maybe he should speak with Soul about this situation of his. After all, she seemed like she would understand. Akira heard footsteps behind him, now walking along side him. The white haired knight glanced to the side, and sure enough, Blake and his Arcanine were walking with him.

"So, where should we start?" Blake questioned.

"The market stands."

That was pretty much how Akira spent his day with Blake: asking around for any strange sightings or unusual activities. They barely received any answers, which kind of concerned Akira since he doubted his captain would find this piece of information useful, mostly because it's something they already heard of. The townspeople reported that they've seen people bearing the national symbols that represented either Johto or Hoenn, they're Pokémon also wearing something similar. Another thing Akira and Blake heard was that the foreign knights were arguing about getting their hands on a legendary Pokémon to save their nation. Other than that, the people around there hadn't seen much.

It was now evening, the moon barely visible in the dark blue sky as only a small scatter of stars were seen. Akira, Blake, and their Pokémon were making their way toward the inn Soul told them about. The white haired knight couldn't help but feel like they hadn't accomplished anything. Even if they spent almost an entire day asking around, it didn't change the fact that they barely got any information out of them. A small sigh escaped his lips as they continued to walk.

"Everything okay, Akira?" Blake asked his partner.

"Not really," he answered, immediately catching Blake's attention. "Don't you find it a bit strange that the townspeople didn't really notice anything?"

The blond knight placed his index finger on his chin as he looked up in wonder. After a moment of silence, he put his finger down and looked at Akira.

"Now that I've thought about it, it does sound strange," he prompted. "Even if this is the Town of Pure Serenity, there should've been a spat played out at some point. If not, then why would Lieutenant Wallace and Rota's General Hayes tell us to investigate Heiwa Town?"

Wow, that's the first time Akira heard him say something that wasn't so irrelevant. That aside, Blake had a point. There was a reason why their superior, Lieutenant Wallace, and General Hayes chose only six places out of the whole Kanto region for the squadron to investigate. These places have been reporting suspicious activities involving the nation's closest allies, and to hear that the townspeople hadn't heard much of it was quite strange.

"My thoughts exactly," Akira claimed. "I also think Major might find this conspiracy of ours interesting."

"...Mind telling me what this conspiracy is?" Blake asked, looking rather confused.

The white haired knight face palmed at the blond's oblivious nature. Blake was so close to gaining a portion of his respect, but his oblivious thinking made him change his mind.

"There's actually two," Akira began to explain slowly. "The first one is a given— the townspeople have no clue about anything. The second one might be a long shot, but maybe the townspeople are keeping something from us."

"Oh, I get it... I think," Blake mumbled that last part, but Akira heard it.

Seriously, how the hell did this guy get ranked First Class Knight?

"Blake, you're hopeless," Akira stated bluntly, earning him a pout from Blake.

"Geez Akira, it's nice to know you have so much faith in me," he mumbled in a sarcastic tone.

"Well, if only you followed along while I was talking then maybe you'd understand," he retorted, rolling his brown eyes. "Idiot."

"Gah, whatever!" Blake exclaimed as he put his hands behind his neck. "I'm done with this conversation. Are we anywhere near the inn? I'm pretty freakin' tired."

"Yeah." Akira nodded and pointed out the direction. "It's just a few blocks away."

It took them about ten minutes for them to arrive at the inn. Mark, Axel, and their Pokémon were already waiting at the entrance. Akira ran up to them, Blake and their Pokémon following behind as well.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"It could've gone better, but it seemed like the officers had something to hide," Mark reported, arms crossed while looking at the ground.

"The officers seemed to keep dodging our questions one way or another, but they did let us speak with a prisoner that was a Johto knight," Axel added, catching Akira's attention.

"Really? Did you get anything out of him?" the white haired knight asked. To his dismay, Axel shook his head no.

"Unfortunately, he wasn't cooperating well. Mark and I tried various methods to get him to talk, but boy was that man stubborn. We did get some information, but barely anything. We might've had better luck and asked civilians like you and Blake did," Axel explained. Akira placed a hand on his hip and narrowed his eyes at the ground.

"Yeah well, you wouldn't have gotten anything better," he muttered bitterly. "Blake and I only managed to get two things, and one of them we already know."

"It was like they were hiding something from us. There's no way nothing happened here, or else Lieutenant Wallace and General Hayes would've told us to skip this place," Blake commented

"Good observation, Chadwick."

The knights all turned around and saw Soul, Aaron, and their Pokémon all coming their way. Soul wore a look of distaste and slight annoyance while Aaron looked a bit more calm, but it was easy to tell that he was masking his annoyance. The blonde woman stopped walking once she was near them.

"We've got some rather interesting scope of what has been going on here in Heiwa Town," she reported, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know you guys weren't able to gather much, but that's okay."

"Let's continue this conversation indoors," Aaron suggested, to which Soul immediately agreed to.

After getting their rooms and setting their stuff down, the knights continued the inside scoop of what was going on. Their Pokémon stayed behind in their respective rooms since they seemed tired, especially Soul's Gallade. Luckily for them, there was a library in this inn and the owner was nice enough to let them use it. Now, here they were, listening to the information Soul was able to gather.

"Aaron and I spoke with Heiwa Town's representative, Atticus Winslow," she began, her entire demeanor becoming serious. "He knew we would be arriving in his precious town to investigate the strange activities going on. Still, he thought he'd be able to get rid of us by telling us that everything was okay."

"Then how did you get him to spill?" Blake asked.

"Easy." The blonde woman smirked and leaned back against her chair. "I gave him 'the look' and asked him again about the strange activities. Atticus Winslow may seem tough in body, but in mind he's weak since he's easily intimidated by 'the look'. Anyways, he said that he kept the whole thing a secret from the townspeople and any of them who had witnessed it were ordered by law to remain silent. He wanted Heiwa Town to live up to its name of pure serenity, which was why he decided to keep the suspicious activities from the public's knowledge. So, Akira and Blake, what were you able to manage?"

"Well..." Akira mumbled.

Should he tell her? Now that one of the conspiracies he had was confirmed, he didn't think there was any point of informing her. He might as well just drop it.

"The townspeople have told us the same thing. We are well aware of about the foreign knights," Blake reported.

"That's it?"

"Actually," Akira added, causing her gaze to settle on him. "We've also got something that you might find useful, Major."

Her sea green eyes made contact with his plain brown optics. Everybody else but Blake looked at him, waiting for his answer. Akira took a deep breath before saying it.

"Someone told us that the foreign knights were in feud over a legendary Pokémon. According to my source, they're after it to save their nation."

"Legendary Pokémon, eh?" Soul mused. "Did you by any chance hear which one or how they plan to use it to save their nation?"

Akira shook his head to answer her question. If only he had gotten more out of that woman in the first place, they would've already been onto something huge. Soul nodded her head at Blake and him before moving onto Mark and Axel.

"How about you guys? Did any of you find something?" she asked.

"Well, with the police dodging our questions it was basically a lost cause," Axel claimed. "However, they did let us talk to one of the prisoners who was a knight from Johto. I found it strange, but glad they did that nonetheless."

"Unfortunately, we couldn't get much out of him either," Mark continued on. "He was a stubborn man, that's for sure. He and his knights came to Kanto in search for a legendary Pokémon that will save them. That's all he was willing to give out."

"I see..." she mumbled, her chin placed in between her thumb and index finger as she looked down deep in thought. "It seems like this mission kicked off with a rough start."

Soul placed her hand down and looked up at all of them. Exhaustion was clear on her face, but she still managed to flash the knights a small smile.

"Excellent job everyone," she praised. "Even if we didn't find as much as we hoped for, remember that this is only the first town. We still have a long way to go before this mission is over. Let's all rest for the night. We'll be out of here in the morning and heading to Azure Village."

Everyone nodded their heads and they all left the library to their own rooms. Luckily, there were enough rooms for each of them to have their own.

Good thing as well, Akira didn't need his little secret coming out just yet. If it did, then he'd be in a whole lot of trouble.

 _Mama... Papa... Hinata... hold out a little longer please. I promise I'm going to save you. After all, I'm only a town away from you_ , he thought before going to sleep.


	8. Tragic Resilience

A sleepy yawn escaped Soul's lips as she continued walking through the forest, her group of knights following closely behind. She didn't get much sleep last night because she was too busy writing down the new pieces of information into a notebook like General Hayes ordered. Even if they didn't seem especially significant, she couldn't help but do some research on her own while everyone else was asleep. That night, she snuck out of her room and went back to the library without waking anyone up. If Aaron caught her sneaking out to do research on her own, she'd never hear the end of it.

Soul read almost half a shelf worth of books, trying to figure out which Pokémon the foreign knights were after. From what she gathered, the list of possibilities narrowed down to only three legendary Pokémon: Jirachi, Celebi, or Mew. From there, she tried coming up with possibilities of how each legendary can perform miracles. Sadly, she lost track of time and the amount of research she did only left her with only about three hours of sleep.

Now here she was, slowly trying to fight back the drowsiness that tried to drag her to sleep. She's almost positive tiny bags have started to show under her eyes, which could give away her lack of sleep. No matter how hard she tried to keep her eyes open, sleep would be close to consuming her whole. However, she couldn't stop now. If she made it three hours of walking without slipping into slumber, she could handle a couple of hours more.

Their next destination was Azure Village, also known as Blue Heaven due to the clear blue skies and the vibrant blue ocean of Poseidon Beach. A bit of nostalgia waved over Soul as she recalled the memories of her father taking her there every now and then to practice Aura Control. Azure Village was also his favorite place to be at because seeing the color blue helped him stay calm and relaxed. It was one of those things that he admired about nature: the natural coloration. Soul really missed her father.

Soul's mourning thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone tap her shoulder. Startled, the blonde woman quickly snapped her neck over her shoulder and hardened her stare at the person who had tapped her. She found Blake behind her. The blond knight looked scared as he slowed his pace down to avoid her.

"Woah, Major!" he quivered, holding his hands in front of him in defense. "I didn't mean to startle you."

She really needed a nap.

"Sorry about that, Blake. I'm just... not feeling well today," Soul apologized, giving him an exhausted look.

"No offense Major, but you don't look well either," he bluntly stated, his face slowly morphing into concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." She waved him off. "Now tell me, what was it you needed to speak to me about?"

Blake pulled himself together and walked next to her. Another yawn escaped the blonde woman's lips before he started talking.

"I was actually wondering if we can take a break," he suggested. "We did sort of leave Heiwa Town in a hurry and skipped breakfast."

Soul looked at him skeptically. She had mention that they were going to leave the town pretty early the next day. Besides, Azure Village shouldn't be any longer— only a few more hours. She doubted anyone wanted to stop now.

"I don't know, Blake..." Soul mumbled, trailing off at the end with uncertainty.

"C'mon Major!" he persisted. "You look like you could really use it. Do you think we haven't noticed those bags under your eyes?"

Her eyes slightly widened at his last statement. She knew overdoing it would make her lack of sleep noticeable. After all, this wouldn't be the first time she's lost so much sleep.

"I'm use to it," Soul remarked quietly.

Blake shook his head at her, probably disapproving of her borderline insomnia. A yawn escaped her lips once again as she rubbed one eye with her free hand. Maybe they should stop for a break.

Screw it, Soul wanted to take a nap anyway.

"Halt!" she ordered, causing everyone to stop.

They all had stopped in a nice and open area. Trees casting shadows that seemed relaxing to lay upon on and the morning weather shining warmly on the naturally green terrain. Perfect place to take a break if you asked.

"Major, why did we stop?" Axel wondered with a puzzled look.

"We're taking our break," Soul simply stated.

"Aw hell yeah! Finally, I can eat my breakfast!" Gallade cheered before walking toward his master so she could give him his food.

Soul rolled her eyes at her goofy Pokémon before shrugging off her backpack and fishing out a bag filled with his favorite food pellets. He excitedly took the bag and settled himself under a shady tree before happily eating away. Akira and Mark awkwardly witnessed Gallade's actions while Lucario shook his head and left to find his own food.

"I still find it hard to believe that he's your Pokémon partner..." Mark commented.

"Everyone does." The blonde woman shrugged.

After that, everyone settled in the clearing to do whatever they wanted. Blake and Akira were eating their breakfast under the morning sun. Axel's Houndoom and Mark's Mightyena were having a little sparring match after they ate while Blake's Arcanine laid on the grass to sunbathe. Axel sat Indian-style under the shade of a huge tree and polished his sword. Mark sat on a tree branch and stayed on guard while eating his breakfast.

As for Soul, she sat up against a tree and tried to get the sleep she wanted very badly. Her combo cover was placed next to her on the grass, her blue coat was put away in her backpack and her blonde hair was out of its ponytail. However, whenever she closed her eyes, she couldn't fall asleep. Her eyes were heavy and she had her black cloak to use as a blanket, but even so, she still had trouble falling asleep. Great, maybe taking a break now wasn't such a good idea.

"What a waste of time..." she mumbled, angrily tugging on her cloak.

"Maybe you shouldn't have done all that research on your own."

Soul shut her eyes closed, silently cursing under her breath as she felt a familiar aura on the tree branch above her. The blonde woman opened her eyes and looked up, only to be met with annoyed dark blue eyes staring back at her. Aaron jumped down from the tree branch and sat down next to her. She was really going to get it this time.

"What were you thinking staying up after we all slept just to do research?!" he scolded her.

"...It seemed like a good idea at the time," Soul retorted, which made him shake his head in disapproval. "Look, I was planning to go back to sleep okay," she countered, a tiny scowl finding its way onto her face. "I just...lost track of time."

"Soul, we're suppose to do this kind of thing as a team. Couldn't you have waited for all of us to lend a hand?" Aaron reasoned.

She opened her mouth to reply, but she couldn't utter a word. He was right and there was no denying it. Aaron took her silence as an answer as he sighed. Soul brought her hand up and face palmed at her own stupid mistake.

"I messed up didn't I?" she mumbled through her hand.

Soul knew she wasn't ready to be captain of a team. Blake was right when he said someone like Mark should've gotten the job of captain. Look at him for Arceus sake! He's strong, smart, and he's able to cooperate well with everyone. What good of a leader was she if she couldn't even work with the people in her own team?

She stayed up late for the sake of research and look at what resulted from that. She lost four hours of sleep and only found a tiny fragment of the whole information. Not only that, but her lack of sleep had affected both her attitude and her judgement.

"I don't deserve to lead this group after all..." Soul sighed as she remove her hand from her face and slumped back against the tree.

Aaron gave her a worried look while she hardened her eyes at nothing in particular. She wasn't upset at what he said— she was upset with herself. She was upset that she had done something without her team. Being a leader meant taking responsibility and guiding your teammates using the correct skills to overcome just about anything, and Aaron made her realize that. Being a leader also required you to cooperate with your teammates and work with them to get the job done easier.

That skill was something she must hone during her time with these knights. She promised to guide her team until the final moment of this mission.

"You need to sleep," Aaron commented, suddenly changing the subject.

"I had the same thought." Soul laughed bitterly. "Unfortunately, I can't fall asleep anymore no matter how much I want to."

"Maybe you should get more comfortable. Do you like waking up with stiff shoulders from falling asleep sitting down?" he sarcastically remarked.

Was that it? What that the reason why she couldn't fall back asleep? Well, he had a point. Sleeping while having your back upright wasn't exactly the most comfortable position to be sleeping in.

"Well, it's not like there's a free bed anyone could use while out in the wilderness," Soul retorted smartly.

"If you want, you can use my shoulder as a pillow," he offered, which caught her off guard.

"Huh?!"

That was unexpected. Soul looked at him weirdly while the blood within her began to rise to her cheeks and ears. Aaron only regarded her weird look with a closed eyed smile, making her blush a little more.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "Besides, if it helps you sleep, then I don't mind you sleeping on my shoulder."

Soul supposed it wouldn't be too bad. She could've used her backpack as a pillow and fall asleep on the grass, but the last time she slept on the grass, she woke up with an aching back. The blonde woman awkwardly placed her head on Aaron's shoulder and brought her cloak closer to her as a breeze passed by. Slowly, her eyes began to grow heavier and heavier. Eventually, she fell into a deep sleep after scooting a little closer to Aaron.

Mark looked around at his teammates' resting area, making sure the peaceful atmosphere wasn't disturbed by any unwanted enemies. Akira and Blake were having another one of their bickering sessions, as usual, and Axel was silently reading a book under the shade of a tree instead of polishing his sword. Mightyena had came back to him after Axel's Houndoom stopped sparring with him. The Bite Pokémon was now resting upon Mark's lap, probably because he got lonely. Everything seemed to be in order for now.

As he scanned the area once more, something caught his attention. Under the tree that was about some feet away, he spotted Soul sleeping peacefully against Aaron's shoulder. If he didn't know any better, he would've assumed they were a couple. A sense of sadness tugged at Mark's heart as an image of someone he use to love flashed before his eyes.

They remind him of himself and Layla, his fiancé.

Mark's lips tugged into a deep frown as he recalled memories of the times they were together. Layla was the first woman to come into his life and completely change him. It was no secret to him that he wasn't such a good guy back then. He was once a no-good thief who made a living from stealing valuable item and selling them in the black market. But this woman, she just had to come into his life and completely mess him up.

Layla and Mark met just like any other couple would have: stumbling upon each other while walking through the streets. They had locked eyes that day, and in that instant, he was drawn to her. Even as he was trying to keep his distance away from her, he couldn't stop thinking about her. A few days later, he found her again and that's when it all started. They went on dates, held hands, and just spent time with each other.

As time went by, Mark started to really fall for her, but he knew that it was dangerous to fall in love with a woman like her. She came from a wealthy family from Vanna Town, so she was an easy target if he didn't provide correctly for his customers. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. Little did he know that his decision would cause a tragic effect on them both.

She came to him one day, crying her eyes out. It turned out her parents had found out about their relationship and did not approve of it, so they're forcing her to move with them to Sinnoh and separate them. He wasn't going to let that happen. Instead, he did what he had planned to do later on. He proposed to her. That's when they decided to run away together. They were always hiding in order to avoid getting caught by the knights or her family. The wanted posters of him didn't help either.

Just like with most romance novels, they eloped and ran away.

As a few more years went by, they both continued their move throughout the region. Layla found a couple of people abusing a poor Poochyena. She did exactly what you'd expect from a goody-two-shoes, but more violent. She practically beat up the men who were attacking the Pokémon. From there, they took in the Poochyena and continued on with their lives. Mark didn't know it then, but those men Layla beat up were one of his old customers he let down. This led to his worst nightmare.

They and some of their friends found Layla and Mark. He knew from the start that he stood no chance, but he tried his best to protect her. All his efforts were fatal because they easily took him down and took away the one person that mattered to him the most. She was ripped away from him by those scum and left him and the Poochyena there in the dust. That's when he decided to do whatever it took to get the woman he fell in love with back.

He had cut his hair and signed up for boot camp in order to join the Indigo Palace Knights. Poochyena eventually evolved into Mightyena and Mark began to change his ways. People knew who he use to be, so it was no surprise that he wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms, but Elliot Belray was a different story. He allowed an ex-criminal like him to stay. He slowly began to change into the person he was today, even making a friend out of both Blake and Akira. They didn't judge him because of his past; even they understood that the past does not shape who you would be in the future.

Mark swore to find those bastards who took Layla away from him and kill them on the spot. They didn't deserve to live after doing what they did. And if they so much as hurt a hair on her head, he'll make sure they're buried in the depths of the Distortion World. Mightyena looked up at his master, probably sensing the sudden change in his mood. Mark placed a hand on his partner's head and ruffled his black fur.

"I'm fine, pal." He smiled gently at him. "I was just remembering her again."

Mightyena let out a sad whimper when he indirectly mentioned Layla. The Bite Pokémon really missed her almost as much as his master did.

"We'll find her, I swear," he promised while he stole a glance at the now sleeping figures of his captain and Aaron.

He knew Aaron cared for the blonde woman. Blake wasn't the one who wanted to request for our group to take a break, it was Aaron. He was worried about her because of her noticeable lack of sleep. He wanted to make sure she was well rested before they moved on to Azure Village. Mark only hoped that their relationship wouldn't end up like his, because if he couldn't have a happy ending, those two at least deserve it.

 _Layla, I swear I'll find you. Don't give up hope_ , he thought to himself as he looked up at the bright blue sky.


	9. The Devilry Brothers

After their break, the group of knights wasted no time to pack everything up and continue their journey, mostly because Soul threatened to beat the crap out of them if they didn't hurry up. She could be scary sometimes, but she just wanted them to keep moving forward as soon as possible. It seemed unusual for Soul to have her team take a break so early. Perhaps it was because of her lack of sleep the other knights noticed no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Aaron had in fact convinced Blake to talk her into taking a break, so maybe the idiot blond actually pulled through and convinced her.

Either that or Soul couldn't resist going back to sleep. They were on their break for almost three hours, and no one dared to wake her up. Her teammates were nice enough to let her sleep in since she was the leader of this group. Now here they were, walking through a rather rocky terrain. Although, based on the large lake near them, they must be getting closer to Azure Village.

Azure Village received its name due to the beautiful blue waters of their ocean and how vivid it contrasted against the azure sky. Akira had been there before while on a mission months ago. It was a distant memory, but he recalled guarding a noble who was to attend the village for an important event. All he could really remember was being mesmerized by how blue the village was.

As they continued walking through the now forest-like terrain, Akira couldn't help but get the feeling that the group was being followed. It might've been just a hunch, but his instincts were almost always right. He slowed down his pace and eventually stopped, causing the rest of the group to stop as well. Mark looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Akira, what's wrong?" he asked. As soon as that question left his mouth, Soul unsheathed her sword and pointed it at a tree nearby.

"Show yourself!" she demanded.

"Heh, looks like you were right, Brother. They're sharper than they look."

Two men appeared out of their hiding place with smirks on their faces. They looked very identical, almost like clones. It was obvious they were twins; they were practically hard to tell apart. They had the same spiky brown hair, suspicious red eyes, and mischievous smirks. They even wore the same outfits that consisted of black slacks, grey long sleeved collared dress shirts, black boots, and black coats that reached past their knees.

Who were these goofs?

"Well, Brother." One smirked. "They appear to be part of Kanto's elite knights, so it's to be expected."

"You're right, as always," the other complimented.

An irk mark made its way onto the side of Akira's face. How the hell was he supposed to know which one was which?

"Who are you?!" he queried, already fed up with them.

"Who are we, you ask?" The one on the left rolled his eyes. "I guess we might as well introduce ourselves, right Brother?"

"Might as well." The one on the right shrugged in response. "Mama didn't teach us manners for nothing."

Out of instinct, the white haired knight reached for his samurai sword that was sheathed in its scabbard on his back. These guys seemed suspicious, so it's only natural for him to allow his instincts to take control. The one on the left smirked when he saw Akira reach for his weapon, causing him to narrow his brown eyes.

"Don't you think it's a bit rude to reach for your weapon while a stranger is trying to introduce himself to you?" he asked the rhetorical question.

"It's called instincts," Akira spat, keeping his brown eyes hardened. "You don't just stumble upon people out here."

"Fine, but don't expect me to be nice." He shrugged.

"Just tell us who you are!" Soul demanded, annoyance and authority clear in her voice.

"My name is Lucius." The one on the right smiled wickedly.

"And my name is Lucifer." The other one copied his brother's actions.

"We're the Devilry Brothers!" they announced, showing the knights that mischievous smirks of theirs.

Akira noticed Blake stiffen at the introduction they gave them. His blue eyes glared daggers at the two identical brothers as he placed a hand on his sword's hilt. Blake's Arcanine bared his fangs at the brothers and glared harshly at them. What's up with those two? Akira understood they could be potential enemies, but why take them so seriously?

It seemed like Axel also noticed this sudden change in Blake based on the strange look he gave him. Blake's hand gripped the hilt tighter, almost making his knuckles go white. Before either Axel or Akira could say anything, Blake unsheathed his sword and walked forward, his Arcanine following him as well. Soul's gaze went from the Devilry Brothers to Blake.

"Blake, what are you—" She was cut off by the blond male himself, but paid all his attention to the twins.

"You..." Blake spoke in a scary low voice.

Everyone seemed surprised by Blake's sudden change in attitude. He was no longer that obnoxious goofball that played around. This person in front of them wasn't like the usual Blake at all. Instead, the Blake in front of them was dead serious, cold, and furious. The blond knight rose his sword and pointed it directly at the twins, who surprisingly were not fazed at all.

"Oh?" Lucius questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"What do we have here?" Lucifer added.

Blake's Arcanine growled more ferociously, his pupils shrinking into slits. He seemed ready to pounce and tear the two brothers into smithereens. All he waited for was the signal from his master. Akira had never seen those two so mad before, and it was honestly kind of scaring him.

"Blake, stand back. I'll take care of this," Soul ordered, sensing the sudden tension.

However, Blake didn't move once from his spot and still kept his blade pointed at the brothers. Arcanine was no better. He still growled loudly and ferociously. The Legendary Pokémon began to shake in anticipation, or possibly bloodlust. Akira wondered who the Devilry Brothers really were considering the circumstances.

"Disobeying your leader? My my, how rude." Lucius shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Didn't you parents ever teach you to respect your superiors?" Lucifer asked with the same mocking tone.

That really seemed to set Blake off. He dashed right toward them, his sword ready to slice the two in half. Right as he swung, the two brothers swiftly moved out of the way. However, it seemed like Blake already knew that because of that smug smirk.

"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" he shouted.

Arcanine ran with all his speed and jumped into the air, his mouth filled with bright orange flames. With a loud battle cry, the Legendary Pokémon released a huge pillar of fire aimed directly at the Devilry Brothers.

"Tch my, what a nuisance." Lucifer scowled before shifting his weight and kicking Arcanine at the side, stopping his Flamethrower attack right then and there.

Much to Akira's surprise, Arcanine was sent flying away a few feet and crashed into a tree. He let out a cry of pain as his back made harsh impact with the tree. Blake's eyes widened in surprise at how powerful that kick was and how much it hurt his partner. Akira thought everyone here was surprised at the strength the opponent had for him to kick a huge creature that far. Any farther and Arcanine could have landed in the lake, which wouldn't be very good.

Akira looked back at Blake, and his eyes widened at that look the blond had on his face. His pupils shrank, almost becoming slits. His mouth was pulled back into a nasty scowl and his entire body shook with fury. He seemed ready to kill them, which worried the white haired knight.

What's gotten into Blake?

Soul stared incredulously at Blake with wide eyes as he seemed ready to kill those brothers. She could sense an overwhelming amount of fury emitting from his aura alone. This overwhelming force was too powerful for an average human to consume. Just who were the Devilry Brothers? And how was Blake involved with them? What have they done to cause Blake this much fury?

Whatever the reason, she must keep Blake in his place before he ended up killing them. Even if they did appear sketchy, they were not their main priority right now. Anything outside the scope of the mission was irrelevant to them. The blonde woman walked forward toward the blond male, Gallade walking beside her as well.

"Soul, what are we going to do?" he asked.

"I need to calm him down before he goes on a rampage. If he gets out of control, go ahead and apprehend him," she informed the Blade Pokémon.

"Okay, but be careful. The fury he's emitting is pretty scary," he warned.

They stopped a few steps away from Blake and his Pokémon partner. Any closer and his aura would be a pain to deal with. The more passionate and stronger the emotion, the more intense and powerful a person's aura becomes. Just for safety measures, Soul's grip tightened on her sword, ready for her to use if anything were to happen.

"Blake, fall back," she called out to him.

Instead of doing what she commanded, he stayed in place and didn't bother to move a muscle. The Devilry Brothers looked bored, no longer finding Blake's fury interesting anymore. Now was not the time to deal with those unwanted guests. Because Blake wasn't responding to her, his leader, Soul decided to take a step closer to him.

"Major, be careful!" she heard Akira warn her.

Once she took a step forward toward Blake and his Arcanine, Soul froze, suddenly feeling intimidated by his intense aura. The blonde woman couldn't move. It was as if she was paralyzed by... fear? Soul looked to her left and saw that Gallade wasn't fazed at all. Why was she the only one being affected?

Gallade looked at his master, suddenly looking worried at her current state. Was her fear obvious? Soul gritted her teeth and pushed away the sudden fear that had tried to consume her. As she was about to tap Blake on the shoulder, she saw him turn stiff and slowly look over his shoulder. Her eyes widened when they made contact with his blood red eyes. Soul stumbled back a bit at the sudden change of her comrade.

He no longer held those kind light blue eyes that everyone knew never glared at anything harmless. Now they were a crimson red, glaring intently at her with the pupils shrinking into slits. Soul glanced at his Arcanine, and sure enough he had the same hateful eyes as his master. The Legendary Pokémon barred his fangs at her, a drop of foaming saliva leaving his mouth and falling onto the ground. This wasn't like them; they wouldn't act like this at all!

Blake completely turned around to face Soul, his Arcanine now focusing on Gallade. She heard the others behind her gasp at Blake's and Arcanine's new intimidating eye color. The blonde woman scowled and looked behind him at the Devilry Brothers, who still looked bored.

"Did you do this to him?!" she interrogated, only receiving a shrug from them as a response.

"No," Lucius answered bluntly.

"Seeing us must have activated the boy's hidden power," Lucifer added.

"What do you mean 'hidden power'?!" Soul heard Aaron ask from behind her. "Just who exactly are you people?!"

The twins smirked their trademark mischievous smirk instead of answering. They leaped up from the ground to a nearby tree, still smirking down at them. Soul tore her eyes away from Blake completely and paid all of her attention to the Devilry Brothers.

"You'll hear about us soon." Lucifer chuckled darkly.

"The lad will be bound to reveal his dark past to all of you. Until then we'll meet again, Knights of Kanto!" Lucius cheerfully added before they both left.

Crap, they couldn't get away! Even if this was out of the scope of the mission, they must know who they really were, even if they had to beat it out of them.

"Axel and Mark, go after them! NOW!" Soul ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" they replied before leaving the way the Devilry Brothers went, Mightyena and Houndoom following them as well.

A loud snarl ran through Soul's ears, catching her attention. She looked toward Blake and Arcanine and saw Arcanine pounce at Gallade. Gallade reacted by immediately putting up a protective barrier around him, causing the Legendary Pokémon to bounce back. Her eyes narrowed as she felt something coming toward her head. Soul moved to the side in order to avoid the sharp blade of Blake's sword, which managed to slice off a bit of her fringe.

That was too close, even for her!

"Soul!"

The blonde woman glanced back and saw Aaron and Lucario coming her way. Before she could do anything, she was already pushed out of the way before Blake could swing at her again. Soul fell on the ground, groaning a bit as she felt another body land on top of her. Whoever it was, they quickly got off of her while she sat up, rubbing the back of her head. She opened her eyes and saw Aaron's hand in front of her.

Without hesitation, Soul grabbed it and he immediately helped her up. A loud battle cry rang through her ears, causing her to look to her left. Blake was the one who let out that battle cry before swinging his sword at Lucario, who easily deflected it with his Bone Rush attack. Meanwhile, Akira and his Lunatone were helping Gallade with a very rabid Arcanine.

"Soul, what's going on?" Aaron asked.

"I would like to know the same thing," she replied. "Something is wrong with both Blake and Arcanine. They won't listen to me no matter what I say."

Before he could reply, a Flamethrower attack went directly toward them both. They both jumped back to avoid the powerful pillar of fire. The Flamethrower attack hit the ground, leaving behind a huge chunk of scorched earth. What was wrong with them?

"We have to find a way to stop them. If we don't, who knows what they'll do," Aaron claimed, watching as Lucario fought with the ferocious blond male.

Soul's unoccupied hand tightened into a fist as she glared at the ground. Her comrades were here, trying to fight against their own comrade. Those weirdos from earlier fled their sight and she had two more of her knights go after them, even if they probably already escaped completely. Her blonde fringe covered her green eyes, creating a shadow over them. Whatever those creeps did to Blake and his Arcanine, she'd find a way to stop it.

She looked up, seemingly determined more than ever. She's captain of this executive squadron. She would take full responsibility as to what happened today. A leader's job was to take charge, lead their group, and handle any situation that comes their way. If she wasn't able to do that, then she didn't deserve to be ranked Major. Soul came out here with five men and Pokémon, and she planned on bringing five back.

The blonde woman walked toward Blake and immediately intercepted his sword that was about to hit a tired looking Lucario. Their swords clashed with a loud clank, each of them trying to overpower the other. While she was trying to overpower Blake, Soul looked back at Aaron and Lucario.

"Go help Akira and Gallade with Arcanine! I can take care of Blake here!" she ordered.

The two reluctantly nodded and left her alone to handle Blake. The blond male took another swift swing at her, but luckily she moved out of the way just in time. However, once she did, Blake decided to land another hit at her. Soul was caught by surprise at how fast Blake suddenly became. He was much more faster than before. What happened to him?

Soul was able to avoid getting stabbed, but she wasn't able to avoid the sword completely. Blake's sword slashed at her arm, catching her off guard. He took this opportunity to land a kick at her, causing her to fall back. The blonde woman hissed in pain as she felt a stinging sensation travel through the new cut on her arm. She placed a hand over it and stood up, her other hand picking up her sword.

Soul could see her blood staining Blake's silver sword, causing her to grit her teeth. The Blake she knew would never hurt his own comrade, especially a captain that could kick his ass. Her eyes perked up as a new plan formed in her head. Maybe she should pretend his old self was actually there rather than getting him to snap out of whatever trance he's in. Yeah, that might work!

A smirk found it's way onto Soul's face as she removed her hand from her injury and pointed her sword at Blake, who continued to glare at her nonetheless. Remember Soul, just pretend you're fighting the real Blake and everything should go smoothly. Besides, she might consider this battle as payback for his little outburst from day one.

"You're pretty cocky to have picked a fight with an aura guardian. You're also pretty damn stupid to defy your captain," Soul taunted, earning her a scowl from him.

"I'll tear you to pieces!" he bellowed before charging at her.

She scoffed before intercepting his sword with hers, creating a spark once the collision was made. He tried to overpower her, but little did he know that an aura guardian always had something up their sleeve. Soul focused all of her aura into her sword, causing Blake to be pushed back by the sudden strength and fall on his back. A little something her father taught her was that you could always use your own aura to add strength to a certain area, whether it be hands, feet, or muscle. It's the basics that could go a long way.

Blake got back up, looking more furious than before. Just by looking at him, Soul could tell that bloodlust was all on his mind. The blond male threw his sword to the side and began to charge at her unarmed. He was going to try and kill her with his bear hands? Even while possessed, he's still an idiot.

"You're going up against me unarmed?" Soul sneered. "Too much confidence will lead to your death!"

"Shut up!" Blake roared as he neared her.

"Major!" the others shouted.

"Know your place, Chadwick!" she warned.

Soul put her sword back in its sheath and prepared for Blake's attack. The blond male pulled his fist back, getting ready to punch her. She put her hand out, her palm facing upwards, and focused twice the amount of aura onto her palm. She wanted to have enough power to knock him out. Any more and she might accidentally kill him.

Blake was only a few steps away from her, giving her the signal to prepare herself. One shove to the chest would be enough to suffice. Once Blake got close enough to where she could touch him, the blonde woman placed her overpowered hand onto his chest and shoved him back. A normal shove like that would've just made him stop. However, once applying more aura to this hand, it had the strength of ten men.

Blake was pushed back far away and crashed harshly into a tree, denting the bark greatly. His head banged against it as well, which immediately knocked him out. One down, one more to go. As Soul turned to face the others, her entire body froze as Arcanine glared at her. It wasn't out of fear, she could almost be certain that this was one of his attacks.

Crap, she couldn't move a muscle! No matter how hard she tried, Soul wouldn't budge. She looked up and saw Arcanine running toward her, his fangs glowing with violent flames. If she doesn't get out of the way fast, she's done for!

"Soul, get out of the way!" Aaron yelled at her.

"I... can't... move...!" she panicked, trying her best to get that sentence out of her mouth.

The closer Arcanine got the more Soul's panic began to intensify. Dammit, she needed to move or else she'd be killed! Think Soul, think! Why couldn't she think of anything?! This panicking wasn't helping either!

Before Arcanine got any closer, Akira's Lunatone placed itself in between the blonde woman and Arcanine. Its sudden appearance caused the Legendary Pokémon to get distracted and slow down.

"Lunatone use Hypnosis!" Akira shouted.

Lunatone's eyes focused completely on Arcanine, who seemed to come to a complete stop. Its eyes glowed a light blue color as transparent signals were sent at Arcanine. The orange canine tried to keep his eyes open while fighting back the oncoming slumber. The harder he tried, the more he seemed to struggle. In the end, Arcanine was consumed by sleep.

The Legendary Pokémon fell limp on the ground, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Soul was now able to move again, thank goodness for that. She heard footsteps coming their way, and out of instinct, she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. However, once she saw it was Axel and Mark, she dropped her guard.

"They got away," Mark reported, looking pretty pissed at their failure.

"It's okay, they weren't our priority anyway." Soul waved off.

"Woah, what happened here?" Axel asked as his eyes laid on the unconscious Blake and Arcanine.

"I don't know," she answered as her confusion of those two grew. "but Blake has some explaining to do once he wakes up."

Soul gasped as she felt a burning sensation on her arm. Crap, she forgot about the stupid wound Blake gave her during their fight. The blonde woman pinched one eye shut from the pain and placed a hand over her wound, already feeling her blood trying to seep through her fingers.

"Major, are you okay?!" Akira asked as he came to her side.

"It's just a cut, nothing to worry over," Soul assured him. "We've got to keep going. Azure Village isn't far. There we can aid Blake, Arcanine, and myself."

The others were reluctant, but eventually agreed. Mark and Axel carried Blake while Akira's Lunatone used Psychic to carry Arcanine. Whatever happened today, Blake had a lot of explaining to do once he regained consciousness.


	10. Imposter

Aaron, Akira, and Soul made their way through the streets of Azure Village in search of the local Law House. After what happened a while before their arrival here, they thought it best to not leave Blake and his Arcanine alone. That was why they decided to leave Gallade, Lucario, and Akira's Lunatone with them in an infirmary. If either one woke up from their slumber and go berserk again, Lucario and Gallade could hold them down and Akira's Lunatone could put them back to sleep. Axel and Mark were the only ones who took their Pokémon with them on their own investigation.

While there, the squadron decided to split into two different groups. Axel and Mark would go around and ask the locals if they knew anything about what foreigners have been up to these days. They were to also investigate any spots where a fight may or may not have occurred. Meanwhile, Aaron, Akira, and Soul were going to have a chat with Leon Gardiner, the representative of Azure Village. He was the one who brought this problem up. It was only logical to assume he knew more about the people committing these disruptive acts.

Soul glanced back at her two teammates and noticed that Akira was deep in thought, though she had no clue on what about. All the blonde woman could assume was that he was concerned about Blake. Despite them being polar opposites, they remind Soul of how brothers would act; bickering with each other while at the same time keeping an eye out for one another without the other one realizing it.

"Akira," Soul called out. The white haired knight snapped out of his train of thoughts and looked over at her.

"Yes, Major?"

"Everything alright?" Soul rose an eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah..." he stuttered before dropping his gaze. "I'm just worried about Blake, that's all..."

The blonde woman placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing him to bring his gaze up at her. Soul's sea green eyes made contact with his brown optics. Akira hadn't noticed how unique the woman's eyes were until now.

"Don't worry, Akira. Blake is going to be just fine." She flashed him a reassuring smile. Akira slowly let a smile appear on his lips as he found himself believing in her words.

"You're right, as always." He nodded, seemingly completely convinced.

"Oh, I don't know about that, Akira," Aaron piped up, causing Soul to narrow her eyes at him. "Soul does have her fair share of wrong answers."

"Hahaha! Very amusing, Aaron," Soul replied, rolling her eyes at him. "Says the one who caught a cold because he believed that it wasn't going to rain that one day. What did you say again? A little rain won't hurt anyone?"

"... That was only one time," he defended himself, his cheeks becoming warm with embarrassment.

"Yeah, and you ended up in bed rest for a whole week after that." The blonde woman shook her head.

"Major," Akira called, catching Soul's attention. "I was wondering something."

"Yes?"

"Are you and Sir Aaron... y'know..."

"Friends?" Soul pushed, raising an eyebrow. She was praying to Arceus he wasn't going to bring up that cursed topic.

"Erm, I was thinking more like... intimate," Akira sheepishly corrected, earning him a groan from the blonde woman.

"I thought I'd escape that topic the moment I left the castle." She sighed.

"So, is that a yes?" Akira continued to question further. A tiny blush began to form on her cheeks. She moved her hand down to cover them.

"It's a no," she stated flatly.

"You do know that I'm right here, right?" Aaron questioned, earning him a glare from his fellow aura guardian.

"Shut up."

That conversation ended right away when the familiar building known as the Law House came into view. Soul motioned for her two teammates to come with her as she led them toward the gates guarded by two local knights. Upon their near arrival, the knights blocked the entrance with their spears. Two Nidoking on either side of them were on guard and ready to pounce at the palace knights if necessary. The security in Azure Village had always been more strict than most parts of Kanto.

Both knights eyed the palace knights carefully, making sure that they weren't potential danger to their leader or this area. The one on the left spoke up first.

"Who are you people?" he interrogated, still eyeing them cautiously. Soul took a confident step forward and began to talk.

"We're knights from the Town of Rota and we're here to have a word with Leon Gardiner," she requested sternly.

"Sorry to break it to you, but—" The second knight was cut off by an oddly familiar voice.

All of them turned around to see the man himself standing there, guarded by another local knight. He wore a similar attire from the meeting where Soul first met him. She thought he was the same as she remembered, but something about him seemed strange. Soul couldn't quite put her finger on it, but shrugged it off. It was probably nothing she should concern herself with.

"You wish to see me, Major Fraverden?" Leon questioned with a polite smile.

"Actually, yes," Soul answered. The dark haired figurehead clapped his hands together and flashed everyone a closed eyed smile.

"Well then, come on in!" he beamed. "We can discuss whatever it is inside the Law House."

"Yes, thank you." The blonde woman bowed, her teammates mimicking her action. Leon nodded his head and turned to his two knights who guarded the front gate.

"These three knights are part of a special squadron sent by the Queen herself. They're here to investigate something... serious going on," he informed them.

"But Sir, they need proof either way," one insisted.

Soul sighed and looked over at both Aaron and Akira, giving them the look that silently told them to reveal their patch. Once the local knights got a good look at them, they moved their spears out of the way and motioned for the Nidoking to stand down.

"They're good to go," he announced before opening the gate.

With that, they all went through the gate and made their way toward the entrance of the Law House. Soul hoped that they would have better luck and be able to get more information here. She would be rather angry if it was a repeat of Heiwa Town again. Before her thoughts could continue on, her aura picked up a sudden wave of anxiety emitting from a close by source. In fact, it felt like it was right next to her.

Soul glanced to her right and noticed that Akira had his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he kept his gaze on the grass below them. Suddenly, his hands balled up into fists as a tiny bead of sweat trailed down the side of his face. The blonde woman kept her gaze narrow, not once removing it from the white haired knight. What was going on with him? Did he also have something hidden from her? First Blake, now Akira?

She'll never catch a break.

* * *

Axel silenced his breathing as he witnessed the two men argue a few feet away from him. Mark was on the other side with his Mightyena hiding at the side of an abandoned house. Axel's position was in an alley that wasn't far from where the men were standing. Houndoom stayed at his side, also leaning in to hear what they were saying. The curly haired knight tried to block out any unnecessary noises and focus purely on what they were arguing about. Although, it was rather difficult since they were practically yelling at each other.

He and Mark have been keeping an eye on them for a while and they noticed how strange they acted. That gave Axel the impression that they must've been foreigners, perhaps from Johto or Hoenn. His suspicion was confirmed when he saw the emblem each respective one wore: the Legendary Bird Trio and the Earth Creators. The arguing between them didn't die down like Axel thought; it only got worse in the matter of minutes.

"Why can't you scum understand that we're in need of that miracle?!"

"We need it more than you mongrels! Unlike you people, our home was destroyed! Completely in rubble!"

"My country is going to decline if we don't fix our rule of power. People are out there killing each other over petty things and we need to stop it or else it'll all crumble down!"

"How about those weaklings actually do something and overthrow the stupid rule of power rather than cower back in fear?! Your people are nothing but live preys for those stronger than them. And you dare call yourselves humans?! More like little bitches if you ask me!"

"You know what?! At least my people aren't depending on other people for shit to come around and get their greedy hands on them. Our ruler may lack human morale, but at least we don't need his help to become self-sufficient! Unlike you lazy bastards!"

"Shut up and back off! Mew will be ours and there's nothing you bastards can do about it!"

"Wanna get out of here alive, you piece of shit?! Then fuck off and let my comrades find Mew! We came here to obtain it and we have all of the intention to bring it back!"

"How about we settle this with a death match?"

"Fine by me. I'll show my people what I had to go through by presenting your head on a stake."

"I can't believe you're even my cousin. I'm ashamed to share the same blood as you, you damn scumbag."

"Likewise dearest cousin, like- _fucking_ -wise. You're dead to me!"

"The feeling's mutual, dearest cousin!"

Both foreign knights ended their heated conversation and unsheathed their swords from their belts. They looked at each other with so much hatred, it was hard to believe they're part of the same family. Is that what this world has come to? Family turning against each other? And for what? A kind of power that could not possibly be obtained?

Axel gritted his teeth as a certain memory came to mind. It was that fateful day that ruined him completely. It was on that fateful day that he lost everything, including the smile he looked forward to everyday. It was on that day, he swore to bring a certain someone to justice. A certain someone who betrayed him and his family.

Axel unsheathed his own sword and ran toward the now violent sword fight in order to intercept it, Houndoom following at his heels. Mark looked surprised, but also came out of his hiding place and ran toward the fight, Mightyena also following. Before the foreign knights could take another dangerous swing at each other, Mark and Axel were able to intercept them with their own blades. Axel struggled with his opponent, but he was able to keep him at bay.

The foreign knight looked at Axel with surprise, probably expecting his cousin to be the one who had intercepted. His burgundy eyes glared into Axel's vibrant brown eyes as soon as he recognized that someone had interrupted the battle. He jumped back and removed his sword from Axel's blade.

"Who the hell are you?!" the foreign knight spat.

"That doesn't matter," Axel spoke in a calm and collected tone. "I have a few questions that I need answered."

"We've got nothing to tell you meddling fools!" the guy that Mark held back yelled at Axel. "This is between us, it's got nothing to do with you!"

"When it has the potential to bring harm upon Kanto, then it does," Mark replied, narrowing his eyes at them.

The burgundy eyed knight in front of Axel gritted his teeth and pushed back his auburn hair in frustration. Axel tightened his grip on his sword, prepared for anything the foreign knight could throw at him.

"Our fight will have to wait a bit, cousin. First, we must get rid of these nosy knights," he suggested.

"Fine," the other foreign knight replied. "But as soon as I'm done with my guy, I'm coming after you.

"Whatever."

Before Axel could even blink, the knight in front of him had already charged at him and swung his sword. The curly haired knight didn't have time to avoid it, so he ended up taking the hit. If it wasn't for his armor, Axel would've already most likely died right then and there. Houndoom growled at the foreign knight and launched at him with an Iron Tail attack. Just like Axel, the knight wasn't prepared for that and ended up taking the hit for himself.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't have any armor. The knight flew back some feet, clutching his arm that was hit by the attack. Once he came to a stop, he got right back up and picked up his sword. A bruise was already forming on his arm, and based on the way the cold sweat broke out on the side of his face, Axel could tell that he was already in a lot of pain. The curly haired knight almost pitied him, but as a knight of Rota, he wasn't going to let him get away.

The knight charged at Axel, letting out an almost animalistic battle cry. Once he was in range, Axel swung his sword. Their weapons clashed as a small spark was created upon impact. This knight may be stronger than him, but Axel couldn't give up. With all the strength he had left, the curly haired knight forced his weight onto his sword to overpower his opponent. It seemed hopeless, but he was able to push the foreign knight back.

Houndoom ran toward him, his entire body engulfed in fire. Axel couldn't help but panic. If he accidentally killed the poor guy, they might lose some valuable information. Axel immediately ran toward Houndoom and shouted.

"Tone down that Flame Charge attack!" he demanded.

The Dark Pokémon stopped and allowed the flamed that engulfed his body to shrink a bit. Once they did, he went back to charge at the foreign knight and rammed himself into him. The knight yelled out in pain as he was pushed back some distance. Even though it didn't seem like it, Houndoom was very strong in strength. Luckily, he's able to control it where he couldn't kill everything.

The foreign knight stubbornly stood up, shaking completely as he picked up his sword. He was stubborn, yet he was not willing to give up. Very admirable, yet very useless in this case. It's obvious he was in a lot of pain. His bruise turned a sickening violet color, he received some ugly burns from that last attack, and he was clearly very exhausted.

"Axel, remember to apprehend him! We're taking him in for questioning!" Axel heard Mark throw the order at him, followed by the sound of swords clashing.

"Right!"

Axel got into a stance and charged at his opponent with his sword ready. The foreign knight copied his actions and charged. Their swords clashed once again. The knight was surprised, but managed to block Axel's attack nonetheless.

The curly haired knight did the same thing in order to tire his opponent out more. After the fifth time, the foreign knight became noticeably sluggish. Axel called Houndoom over and had him pin the opponent down. The knight tried to shove him away, but the Dark Pokémon snarled viciously at him, daring him to touch him.

"Mine is down," Axel informed Mark as he looked over at his comrade. He couldn't help but be surprised seeing Mark's opponent knocked out and tied up as well.

"So is mine," Mark informed him.

"Where do we take them to get information out of them?" Axel asked.

"I've got a place in mind. It's not used often, but it's the last place anyone would go to."

* * *

"Celestial Chapel? Really Mark?" Axel asked, his eyebrows furrowed together at his comrade's strange choice of place.

"What?" He shrugged, looking at Axel with confusion. "People don't come in because they think it's haunted."

"I suppose you have a point..." the curly haired knight admitted.

"Let us go you bastards!"

Mark and Axel looked toward the two foreign knights who were tied up back to back. It just so happens that Mark carried extra rope with him at all times. Don't ask because even his comrades had no idea why, but it was convenient to have it right now since these guys seemed to want to stay here. So the palace knights tied them up in order for them not to escape.

Axel turned to the men and gave them a serious look, responded with a glare from both. He walked over to them, motioning for Houndoom to follow him. Mark did the same, but had his Mightyena watch just in case any of them had the guts to try anything funny.

"We're not letting you go until you explain something to us," Axel ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm not telling you shit!" the man Axel fought snapped. "Now untie us!"

"I'm afraid you're forgetting something," Mark commented, walking over to the man who snapped and stopped in front of him. He crossed his arms, looked down, and gave him a terrifying glare that even scared Axel a little bit.

"You're the ones tied up, and my partner and I are the ones with the swords. Did I forget to mention that we also have two Pokémon with sharp chompers that can easily rip through your skin?" he rhetorically asked, creating a scary atmosphere.

The men looked at him with wide and somewhat scared eyes. Hell, that kind of scared Axel too to be honest. He was almost as scary as Soul when she's pissed. Mark took a step back and gave them a peculiar closed eyed smile.

"Well, now you know!" he beamed, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

Now Axel learned not to mess with Mark.

"Okay fine! We'll spill..." the man he fought surrendered.

"Why don't you start by telling us your names?" Axel suggested.

"Renzo Alvarado," the man Axel fought mumbled.

"...Ricky Alvarado," the man Mark fought hesitantly spoke.

"Okay, let's start with you, Renzo."

Axel moved from his place and walked over to him. He stopped in front of him, causing Renzo to look up and make eye contact. He was still glaring, but Axel already knew he couldn't get out of this. It wasn't like he had much of a choice.

"What have you got to tell us? We know you're involved with the knights that have been causing trouble around here," Axel wondered.

"You're right," he admitted. "I'm part of the Hoenn Knights."

"While you two were arguing, we heard something rather interesting," Axel confessed. "Why is it that you are in need of Mew? What do you plan to do after obtaining its power? Why are you even interested in seeking a legendary Pokémon that is said to hardly ever around?"

"Might as well tell you the whole story." Renzo sighed, dropping his gaze for a moment. He looked back up at Axel with a serious look.

"As you know, Hoenn is home of the Earth Creators: Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. There had been a raging battle going on between Groudon and Kyogre. Our people didn't know why and they were also afraid because they were destroying everything. The weather was following a strange pattern, wildfires occurred, earthquakes happened frequently, areas were flooded, and many people and Pokémon died. My people soon found out the reason why.

"Some blasphemous fool and his followers wanted to summon Groudon and Kyogre to gain complete control of Hoenn. They got their hands on both the Red and Blue Orbs and summoned the two together. As you know, Groudon and Kyogre are not compatible. Putting the two together would lead to the end of the world."

Axel eyes widened slightly as that cursed memory came to mine. His brother... he said something similar to that last part. The curly haired knight shut his eyes and shook his head. Now was not the time to think of that day, that traitor...

"Keep going," Axel told him.

"Right." He nodded. "When we thought we were all going to perish, we had hope once again when Rayquaza swooped down from the skies and put an end to the fighting. Even so, our nation was in rubble. That is why our king gathered up whatever men were left and established the Hoenn Knights. It's temporary, so as soon as we find Mew and restore Hoenn, we will be disbanded and the real knights will keep their jobs."

It wasn't a surprise to Axel. He heard rumors that Hoenn was near the brink of oblivion, but he never knew why or what caused it. At least now the palace knights knew the reason why, and now they knew more about the Hoenn Knights. Axel nodded his head at Renzo and looked back at Mark, letting him know that it was his turn to interrogate the guy he fought.

Mark nodded his head and stood in front of Ricky, who quite frankly looked a bit intimidated being towered over like that. Poor guy, but now it's his problem.

"Now we know what Hoenn has been up to on Kanto's grounds," he spoke. "It's time for you to tell us about your people, Ricky."

Ricky sighed, rolling his onyx eyes. Still, just like Renzo, he didn't have a choice. He either had to spill, or get killed.

"Fine, whatever," he mumbled and looked up at Mark.

"The Johto Knights are not an official unit, it's made up of people who wish to bring reform upon the nation. You see, Johto has no official form of government. We just picked some random geezer and gave him the title of Elder to make it seem to other nations that we're doing fine on our own. My nation has no intention of being colonized by other powerful nations. However, we might've gone with that stupid idea for too long.

"Johto is under complete anarchy. The Elder doesn't do anything because he entrusts the Minister with anything concerning Johto. The Minister only cares about the nobles and church officials, he never gives the commoners so much as a glance. Since the commoners outweigh the other classes there was bound to be an overthrow of government, which is exactly what they did and had them both executed.

"That was the biggest mistake we've ever made. Johto doesn't know how to function without a proper leader. This led to complete anarchy, lack of human morality, and unreasonable slaughter. There was never a day where someone didn't get killed. If this keeps up, Johto will decline and fall. That is why the Johto Knights were created.

"Those who still kept their humanity gathered together and formed the Johto Knights. We are in search of something that would bring peace to our corrupted nation. While we roamed Kanto, we heard of the legendary Mew who can use it's power to bring peace among the people. That is why we are in search of Mew, to save my country."

"That doesn't make any sense," Mark inputted with a hard look. "Johto is one of Kanto's close allies. How were you people able to keep the anarchy hidden from us? Most importantly, who's in charge of your nation as of right now?"

"That would be the leader of the Johto Knight: Commander James Hamilton," Ricky revealed.

Both Axel and Mark couldn't help but be surprised by this sudden revelation. Neither nation had stability nor a true ruler, only figureheads and military officials as their acting rulers. This mission had taken quite a turn.

At least now they knew the story behind both the Johto Knights and Hoenn Knights. Both were doing it for different reason, but their situations seemed somewhat similar. Their nation being in shambles and the two wanting to save and restore it. However, they couldn't do it alone. That's why they sent a message to Elliot Belray ordering that Kanto choose a side to fight with.

Axel glanced at Mark, seeing his reaction. He seemed just as surprised as his comrade was. They knew almost nothing when they were both brought into this mission and now they learned more. However, knowing Soul, she'd probably want more information. Then again, this was their second location out of some. They still needed four more places to go and hopefully there would be more information they could gather.

"What do we do now, Mark?" Axel asked his teammate. He snapped back to reality and looked at the curly haired knight.

"We're taking them to the authorities and then we'll find Major and the others," he decided.

"What the fuck?! We tell you everything and you're just going to throw us in jail?!" Ricky barked. Mark looked back at him with the same peculiar closed eyed smile from before.

"You have a problem with that?" Mark questioned in the same peculiar tone.

"N-No...!" he replied, sweating in fear.

Now Axel knew why Akira told him to be careful with the older knight.

* * *

Soul watched as Leon searched through the drawers of his desk. She kept an eye on him for a while and now she became suspicious. He gave off some sort of strange vibe, almost a bad one. It's strange because when she first met him, he seemed harmless and gave off a friendly radiance. Now she knew she wasn't just paranoid.

Leon sighed before closing the drawer and stood up straight. Soul rose an eyebrow at him as he scratched his neck nervously.

"It seems as though I do not have any files concerning the fights." He chuckled sheepishly. "My deepest apologies."

The blonde woman crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him weirdly. How could someone who brought up the situation not have any evidence of it? Now she knew something's up.

"You don't have anything regarding the fights?" Aaron asked, eyeing Leon suspiciously.

"I know I have them somewhere," Leon assured with a thoughtful look. "Give me a few more minutes to find them. I swear I have them."

"Fine."

From there, he began to search the whole place. Cabinets and drawers were messily scouted through, shelves were emptied, Leon even resorted to looking under the furniture. Soul never met someone so unorganized before. He was elected representative? No way in hell would she have believed it.

After about twenty minutes of scouting, Leon searched through the last drawer that was attached to one of the shelves. His icy blue eyes perked up as he grabbed a file and shut the drawer. Leon walked over to Aaron, Akira, and Soul. He handed over the file with a strange smile on his face.

"Is this it?" she questioned.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" he persisted.

Soul looked down at the file and studied it. It seemed a little too thin for it to be the real thing. Regardless, she still opened it, hoping to find some sort of information. However, when she did, all that was in there was a thin pack of blank paper. What the hell?

The blonde woman narrowed her eyes as she looked up from the paper to the blue eyed man. He smirked at her reaction, causing her to glare at him. She threw down the fake file and placed a hand on her sword's hilt.

"What's the big idea?" she queried in a demanding voice.

"Who are you anyway? I know you're not Leon Gardiner. He would never be so unorganized and forget where he puts his important files," Aaron added, also narrowing his eyes at the fake Leon.

The fake Leon chuckled before erupting into a round of laughter. Soul gritted her teeth and unsheathed her sword as Aaron pointed his staff at him as well. Whoever this guy was, he's already getting on her nerves. Not only that, but he just wasted their time as well by "looking" for the files.

Fake Leon's laughter died down before smirking a sinister smirk at them. Soul glared harshly at him and gripped her sword tightly. Smirk still plastered on his face, Leon cleared his throat before placing his hands behind his back.

"Tell me, did I make it obvious?" he asked innocently.

"You did," Aaron mocked. "If you wanted to impersonate a person, you should've picked someone we weren't familiar with."

"It can't be helped." He shrugged.

"Who the hell are you?!" Soul demanded, still pointing her sword at the imposter.

"I'll tell you later." He waved it off. "Right now I've got business to discuss."

"What are you talking about?!" Aaron snapped at him, causing that sinister smirk of fake Leon to darken.

"Akira dear, you did an excellent job on the mission I requested you to do. You've brought back the people I've asked you for and unharmed as well," he complimented.

Soul's eyes widened at what he said. She and Aaron slowly looked back at the white haired knight. He was looking down, his fringe shadowing over his eyes as his hands were in tight fists on either side of him. No way, Akira wouldn't do such a thing.

Akira brought his gaze up, looking at Aaron and Soul with brown eyes void of any emotion. Soul's eyebrows furrowed in shock as she looked back at the imposter Leon.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, still not wanting to believe the unthinkable.

"Akira works for me," he claimed. "I had him infiltrate the Indigo Knights and bring you two back here. There are some... things I need you two for."

Soul felt her heart break a little. Akira was sent on a mission to infiltrate the knights just to get her and Aaron? She bit her lip as she looked down, her blonde fringe shadowing over her sea green eyes. She never felt the pain of being betrayed, and to think Akira did this as well...

"That's right, sweetheart. Akira betrayed you! Whatever friendship you people had was a phony!" He laughed darkly.

Soul felt Akira walk in between her and Aaron. He stopped once he got next to the fake Leon. Fake Leon placed an arm over his shoulder and smirked at the palace knights. Next thing she knew, the door was knocked down and she and Aaron were surrounded by local knights.

"Now then, we can do this the easy way or hard way."

 _Akira... I trusted you._


	11. Blade of Betrayal

The warm streams of sunlight hit Blake's closed eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows before slowly peeling his eyelids open. His sleepy gaze roamed around, and he was surprised to find himself in a room of some sort. Blake lifted his body up, only to groan from the soreness that consumed his body. Still, that didn't stop him from sitting up and looking around.

Where was he? What happened? Oh yeah, now he remembered.

A look of shame morphed onto the blond knight's face as he looked down at his lap, gripping the white bed sheets as he recalled what happened. He let that beast consume him, all thanks to just looking at those evil clones. Blake brought his hand to the right part of his chest where the seal that locked the demon inside him was etched. He swore after that day he'd never allow it to take control of him. That thing didn't deserve to live; it didn't deserve him as a host.

"Hey man, you're finally awake!"

Blake lifted his gaze from his lap and saw Gallade walking toward him, a silly grin plastered on his face. Not far behind him was Lucario, who seemed very annoyed as he looked over at Gallade.

"Will there ever be a day where you do not speak so loudly?!" he snapped at the Blade Pokémon.

"WHY?! DOES IT BOTHER YOU?! DO YOU FIND THIS ANNOYING?!"

"YES I FIND IT ANNOYING! NOW STOP BEING SO LOUD!"

Blake sweat dropped as he watched Gallade and Lucario argue with each other like children. He felt bad for Lucario for having to put up with the silly Gallade, but he's pretty sure he's use to it by now. A loud whimper rang through the blond knight's ears, catching all of their attention. Blake looked down at the side of his bed and saw his Arcanine laying down, looking at his master with worry. Blake's eyes widened slightly at his injuries.

Just how out of control were they?

The blond knight got up from the bed, ignoring the soreness that spread through his body with every movement he took and crouched down to his partner's level. He eyed his master, almost with the same look of shame Blake had not too long ago. Blake chuckled softly and placed a hand on his head, ruffling his fiery orange fur.

"Don't worry, buddy." The blond knight smiled genuinely at his partner. "It's over for now."

"Hey Blake, I have a question."

Blake and Arcanine both moved their gazes at Gallade. It seemed like he and Lucario had settled things for now. Blake stood up and looked at him questionably, though he had a feeling of what he's about to ask.

"What happened back there? Once you took a look at those clones, you... changed," Gallade mumbled near the end, as if intimidated by the knight.

He couldn't blame him. He would be afraid of himself too if he had seen the monster he became.

Blake sighed and ran his unwounded hand through his blond hair as he recalled the memory of what he did. Usually, when people find out of the unwanted side of him, he tended to run away from them in hopes of staying alive. People wouldn't want to be friends with a monster like him anyway, so it was probably for the better. He wouldn't want to be friends with a monster either.

Another whimper caught his attention, causing him to look at his Arcanine. He gave Blake another worried look before looking back at the other two Pokémon, barking at them. Gallade furrowed his eyebrows together while Lucario nodded his head in understanding. The Aura Pokémon looked at Gallade with a strict demeanor, more strict than usual if that's possible.

"Arcanine said that it is a touchy subject for the both of them. It is best not to pry into their matter, Gallade," he suggested before turning back to Blake and Arcanine. "We respect your decision. However, be ready for when Major Fraverden questions you about it. She wants answers as to why you disobeyed her orders and attacked your own teammates."

Blake's hands balled up into tight fists as he swallowed a small lump that formed in his throat. If his superior wanted answers from him, then so be it. However, he was worried what reaction she may have once he revealed this monster inside of him. Hell, he's scared of everyone's reaction. He hadn't told Akira nor Mark about his past because he felt too insecure about being alone again.

Would they think differently of him once his past was revealed? Would they look at him like some sort of monster? Most importantly, would his past drive them away like it did with people from his past?

Blake sighed and ran a hand through his messy blond hair once again. He's still insecure about revealing his past, but he knew now there's no avoiding shedding light upon his dark memory. It was only a matter of time anyway, he's surprised he made it this long without mentioning it or talking about it. A thought suddenly popped into his mind, causing him to become more conscious of his sudden thought.

"What happened when I was... gone?" Blake asked, not sure if asking the question was such a good idea.

"Things that we didn't know you were capable of doing," Gallade answered and crossed his arms over his chest. "You disobeyed Soul, pointed your sword at her, fought her, almost stabbed—"

He was cut off by a bonk to the head, courtesy of Lucario. The Aura Pokémon sighed and shook his head at Gallade, clearly very disappointed with his comrade's lack of sympathy.

"You're not helping, you're just adding salt to the wound!" he chastised.

"But he wasn't alone, his Arcanine—"

 ** **BONK!****

"OW! QUIT HITTING ME DAMMIT!"

"Then think before talking," Lucario spoke calmly, thought Blake could clearly tell he wanted to hit him again.

How did they even get along?

Forget about that now. All Blake could think about was the harm he brought about when he was possessed. Blake glanced at Arcanine, who was looking back at him with the same thought. They were both possessed, just like on that day. Under complete control, used as puppets by our their monsters. Dammit!

"It's okay, Lucario," Blake assured, dropping his gaze at the wooden floor. "This wouldn't be the first time I caused trouble for others."

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"I... I'll tell you later, once Major starts questioning me." Blake sighed before asking his follow up. "Speaking of, where is she?"

"She went to Azure's Law House with Akira and Sir Aaron. She had me, Lucario, and Akira's Lunatone keep an eye on you," Gallade answered, a look of confusion crossed his eyes. "Although, they've been gone for a while. I'm kinda getting worried."

"As well as I," Lucario commented, though his worry was covered up with his strict demeanor.

Wait a minute, was it just Blake or were they missing a Pokémon?

"Guys?" Blake questioned. "Where's Akira's Lunatone?"

Both Pokémon looked surprise before scanning the entire room in search of the Meteorite Pokémon. However, it was nowhere in sight.

"Lunatone is gone!" Gallade exclaimed.

"Wait!" Lucario shouted, causing us all to freeze.

The Aura Pokémon closed his eyes and brought his paw forward. Blake felt the atmosphere change into something strange. The air around him felt lighter, almost as if gravity was morphing into something different. After a moment or so, the atmosphere changed back and Lucario opened his eyes again.

"I was able to track down Lunatone's aura. It is very faint, but it is still there," he reported. Blake nodded and grabbed his sheathed sword that was leaning against the table beside the bed and attached it to his belt.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" he exclaimed, Arcanine barking in agreement.

* * *

After that shocking revelation at the Law House, the local knights arrested Aaron and Soul and placed them in the dungeon. One of them came down here and took Aaron away for some reason. Soul had a feeling that whoever the fake Leon really was had no honorable intentions. To think Akira was part in it as well. He was the last person Soul expected to get away with something like this. It made sense as to why he felt to anxious when they first arrived here.

He knew he was going to betray them.

Soul narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. No matter how many times she tried to say that he didn't do it, she knew she was only lying to herself. Akira betrayed them, end of story. He infiltrated the Indigo Palace Knights and ended up in her squadron. He was going to stab them in the back from the start, but it was only a matter of time. Great, what were they going to do now?

"Dammit!" she shouted before slamming her fist down onto the concrete ground beneath her.

The blonde woman got up from the ground and looked through the bars. As expected, there were knights standing in almost every occupied cell. She wasn't kidding when she said the security in Azure Village was strict. Dammit, now how was she suppose to find a way to escape without arousing suspicion? This was going to be tough.

Her ears perked up when she heard multiple footsteps echo throughout the dungeon. She looked up and saw silhouettes of three people, one of them she knew all too well. The knights opened the prison she occupied and shoved Aaron inside. Once they did, they closed the bar doors and locked it back up. After hearing the dreaded click of the lock, they stepped back and left.

Soul sighed before walking over to Aaron, who still managed to keep the same annoyed look he wore after Akira's revelation. Was he that mad about it? If anyone should be mad, it should be Soul. But honestly, she was more hurt than mad.

"What did that bastard want?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He questioned me about Mew, as if I knew anything about its whereabouts," he replied.

"Mew? What does Mew have anything to do with you?" Soul investigated further. He shook his head and looked down.

"I don't know," he lied.

He did know, but it's not like Soul would understand. Despite her being an aura guardian herself, she still didn't fully understand the relationship between an aura guardian and legendary Pokémon. If the almighty being asked of something from an aura guardian, they must heed the word and execute the task no matter what, even at the cost of their lives. It wasn't an easy thing to accept, especially with someone like her.

Soul nodded her head, knowing that she wasn't going to get anymore information. A thought suddenly appeared in her mind, causing her to perk up and look at him once more.

"What exactly did that guy ask you?" she asked.

"He asked me where Mew was and the places it can be found," he replied, raising a suspicious eyebrow at me.

"I see..." Soul nodded, placing her chin in between her index finger and thumb. "I knew it."

"What are you talking about?" Aaron queried.

"While we were in Heiwa Town, I decided to do some research myself while we were at that inn," she explained. "Based on the information we gathered that night, I was able to come up with three Legendary Pokémon who were able to perform miracles. They were Jirachi, Mew and Celebi."

"How could you have known those three could be what the knights were after?"

"It was quite simple really." She smirked confidently and crossed her arms over her chest. "Jirachi can grant any wish while it's awake. The only problem would be they would have to wait for one millennium, and it just so happens that the millennium comet had passed a year ago."

"Okay that explains Jirachi." He nodded in understanding. "But what about Celebi and Mew?"

"Celebi is a time traveler," Soul continued my explaining. "The knights could've used it to go back in time and prevent whatever it is that caused their fighting in the first place. As for Mew, it needs some form of spiritual energy to perform what people would consider a miracle."

All that research was definitely worth it. Soul could tell that she was now beginning to find the root of this problem.

"You found all that out while we were asleep?" Aaron asks.

"Yes," she answered, a smirk tugging at her lips. "After all, the captain has to take charge at all times."

The blonde woman gave him a cocky closed eyed smile, a small chuckle leaving her mouth as well. She heard footsteps walking toward her. Soul opened her eyes with curiosity and saw Aaron walking toward her. He stopped walking when he stood right in front of her. She was about to question his action, but stopped when he did what he did.

Aaron brought his hand up and flicked her forehead, causing her to gasp in surprise. Soul brought her hand up to the place where he flicked it and rubbed it slightly. The blonde woman narrowed her eyes at him, but all he did was look at her with amusement.

"Don't let that ego of yours get any bigger," he chastised, causing her to narrow her eyes at him.

"I don't have an ego!" Soul retorted.

"Uh huh, sure," he remarked sarcastically, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"You jerk..." she mumbled.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, footsteps echoed throughout the dungeon again. Soul brought her hand back down and looked at the bar doors. She could see a familiar shadow as well as feel a familiar aura coming their way.

"He's coming," she warned.

Akira stopped at the entrance of the prison cell and placed the key into the lock, turning it. An unlocking sound was heard and the door opened slightly. Soul narrowed her eyes at him once they made eye contact, but her features softened slightly when she saw it.

His regretful brown eyes.

The white haired knight stood there for a moment before motioning for her to come to him. Once he spoke, she could clearly hear how forcefully monotone his voice sounded.

"Major Fraverden, he's asked me to bring you in for questioning."


	12. Mental Battles

"Wait, they left already?" Axel asked the knight who guarded the gates of the Law House.

"Yes," he replied in a stern voice. "Major Fraverden and the others left about twenty minutes ago."

"Do you know where they went?" Mark questioned further, to which the knight shook his head to.

That was strange. Soul wouldn't leave just like that and not say where she's going. Same thing went for the others too. Mark shrugged and sighed, knowing that they weren't going to get any more answers from the local knights.

"Well, thank you anyway." Mark bowed in respect, to which the knight acknowledged.

He and Axel turned around and walked away from the Law House, their Pokémon walking beside them. It was strange that Soul and the others left already. They took longer than they did, what with all the fighting and long interrogation with those two men. Mark couldn't help but feel kind of bad for turning them in, but letting them go would be like letting an unstable person roam free. It would cause trouble for the other people and potential harm.

"It's strange for Major Fraverden to do something like that," Axel commented as they kept walking.

"Yeah," Mark agreed. "It is pretty unusual."

"Do you think they went back to check on Blake?" he asked as a suggestion.

"I don't know, probably," he answered. "We should go check."

* * *

The two of them walked through the grounds of Azure Village heading to the infirmary where they left Blake at. Mark wondered what happened to him that caused him to become so aggressive. He didn't look like the kind of person who'd snap like that, but he supposed looks could be deceiving. This just made him wonder who Blake really was before he joined the Indigo Palace Knights.

Was he just like him? A low class no-good who did nothing but hurt the ones they loved?

If that's the case, then Mark understood the kind of pain he might've gone through. The feeling of being looked at like a monster, the feeling of struggle, and the feeling of loneliness. Blake covered it all up by showing his comrades his goofiness and bright smiles because he wanted to hide it from them. However, knowing Soul, Blake was going to have to spill. Besides, he couldn't hide the past forever, it was bound to resurface at some point.

Axel and Mark arrived at the infirmary. He opened the door and the two of them entered, greeting the lady who was at the counter writing up some documents. They went to the room where Blake and the others should be residing at. Once they did, Mark placed his hand on the brass knob, twisted it, and pushed it open. His eyes widened slightly once he was greeted by an empty room.

"Great..." he muttered under his breath.

"They're all gone?!" Axel exclaimed, eyeing the now vacant room.

Something was up. If Soul and the others weren't here, then where could they be? And what about Blake and the Pokémon? Where the hell could they've gone? Mark sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Where could they all be?

Suddenly, Mightyena walked passed him and into the vacant room. Curiously, he followed his Pokémon and they both were led to the empty bed that was once occupied by Blake. Mark eyed him as the Bite Pokémon jumped onto the bed and began to sniff it. It took a while, but it had finally dawned on him. With Mightyena's sharp nose, they could track down where Blake could've gone, and maybe even the others!

"What's Mightyena doing?"

Mark looked back at Axel, who was watching his Pokémon sniff the bed sheets thoroughly. His gaze then went down and landed on the hellhound looking Pokémon. He felt as if a light bulb had gone off in his head once a thought came to mind.

"Hey Axel," Mark called, causing said man to look at him. "How good is your Houndoom's sense of smell?"

"He can pick up a scent and follow its trail, even through the rain," he replied, sending him a weird look. "Why do you ask?"

"I need your Houndoom to help Mightyena get Blake's scent so we can track him down," he informed him of his idea. "It'll be a lot faster if we have two noses rather than one."

"I see." He nodded before looking down at the Dark Pokémon. "You heard him, boy. Go help Mightyena find Blake's scent and lead us to him."

His Houndoom nodded and wasted no time getting on the job. It didn't take them long to find it. Mightyena let out a bark before he and Houndoom walked out of the room. Axel and Mark followed them.

* * *

Blake let out a sigh of relief as he watched the last knight fall on the floor unconscious after giving him a blow to the head with the hilt of his sword. He looked back and saw Gallade and Lucario finishing their surprisingly tough opponent, but luckily Arcanine tackled him onto the floor and rendered a blow to his head with his giant paw. He really hoped his Arcanine didn't accidentally kill the knight, or else everyone would be in big trouble by both the representative and his captain. He knew the representative's punishment wouldn't be as bad as Soul's though. Either way, he just hoped the knight wasn't dead for his sake.

Once their final opponent was out, the three Pokémon met up with Blake and they all walked toward the Law House. Hm, why the hell would Akira's Lunatone come to this place? Most importantly, how the hell did it even find the Law House? Now he could confirm that something wasn't right here. However, before they could take another step, a voice shouting Blake's name caused them all to freeze.

His eyes widened as a small bead of sweat ran down the side of his face, a sense of nervousness waving over him. His heartbeat began to accelerate once the thought occurred to him. Shit, could they have gotten caught? Was this it for them?

"Blake!"

The blond knight slowly turned around to find the owner of the voice. His heartbeat went back to its normal pace and the breath he had no idea he was holding was suddenly released from his mouth as he was able to make out the familiar figures of Mark, Axel and their Pokémon running toward them. They barely passed through the gates, and even from where Blake stood, he could hear their hard panting breaths as they continued running toward them. Once they caught up, they stopped and tried to catch their breaths.

"Blake... we... found... you..." Mark rasped in between breaths.

"What... on earth... are you doing... out... of... your room... ?!" Axel tried to exclaim, what with all the air he was trying to get back.

"Apparently Akira's Lunatone went missing and Lucario was trying to find it by following its aura. But for some reason, it led us here..." Blake explained, still confused as to what Akira's Lunatone could be doing here.

"Akira's... Lunatone?" Mark questioned, looking just as confused as his blond comrade. "Why the—"

"I don't know," Blake answered, growing even more confused the more he thought about it. "That's what I wanna find out."

"Don't you guys think that Akira's Lunatone just wants to be with its owner?" Gallade suggested.

"No, you idiot! That does not fit in with the situation here!" Lucario answered, shooting down Gallade's idea. Gallade just pouted and turned away from him mumbling under his breath something about Lucario learning some manners.

"Either way, Akira and the others aren't here," Axel said, once he gathered all the air he lost. "The knights we spoke to before coming to the infirmary said that they had left a while ago."

"That doesn't make any sense," Gallade inputted. "Soul told me she and the others might be gone the whole day!"

"Then why—"

"We have been set up," Lucario concluded, cutting off whatever Mark was going to say.

All eyes turned to the Aura Pokémon, who was leaning against the wall with his arm crossed over his chest and his eyes closed, looking as if he's concentrating hard on something. The knights felt the strange atmosphere replace the normal one as a sudden breeze passed by. Everyone kept their eyes on Lucario, waiting for him to do something. With this light atmosphere, Blake concluded that he's doing the same thing he did back at the infirmary.

He's trying to track down someone's aura.

"What is—" Mark was immediately quieted down by Gallade.

"Shh! Don't break his concentration," the Blade Pokémon whispered to him.

The black haired knight looked at him in confusion, but nodded his head in agreement either way.

Lucario snapped open his red eyes and pushed himself away from the creamy white walls. His eyes were suddenly filled with a small amount of hostility as he gritted his teeth. His paws were balled up into fists before he turned around and went for the front door. The knights and their Pokémon were all startled by the sudden action, but they still ran after him nonetheless.

"They are in here being held prisoners! All of them!" the Aura Pokémon barked.

"Then lead the way, my good Pokémon." Gallade smirked as he ran alongside Lucario. "I've been wanting to kick some butt for a while."

"You've read my mind." Blake grinned, suddenly feeling a rush of adrenaline going through his veins. "It's good to be back fighting after being in bed for who knows how long. Right Arcanine?"

Arcanine barked in agreement as they all followed Lucario to where the rest of their squadron could be. Unfortunately, they were stopped by some of the local knights. Oh well, more butt kicking for Blake!

* * *

"I told you already, I don't know!" Soul's voice barked in rage as she sent a nasty glare at the man behind Fake Leon— Cato Hann, also known as Akira's boss.

Cato leaned back against his velvet chair and closed his hazel eyes as a sigh of frustration left his mouth. He brought his hand up and ran a hand through his neatly combed black hair while a nasty scowl formed on his mouth. Akira probably should have warned him how stubborn Soul was before the interrogation began.

"You're an aura guardian, Major," he stated matter of fact, which caused the blonde woman to growl at him.

"So what?!" she spat. "What does me being an aura guardian have to do with Mew's whereabouts?!"

Cato reopened his eyes and glared at the blonde haired woman. He got up from his seat and slammed his hands down onto the mahogany table, knocking down his chair in the process. Even with that look, Soul wasn't fazed one bit by it.

"You should know more than anyone else where that damn Pokémon is! Now tell me where it is or else!"

"For the millionth time, I don't know!" she fumed, slightly out of breath from all the shouting she's been doing. "Besides, even if I did know, there's no way I'd say anything to a scumbag like you!"

"Scumbag? _Me_?!" Cato growled, clearly offended by her words.

It all happened so fast, Akira couldn't even blink without missing it. Her boss brought his hand up and slapped it across Soul's face, a loud smacking sound echoing through this small room as her head jerked to the left. An incredulous look crossed her features, processing what just happened. Akira, on the other hand, was shocked at the bold movement his boss did. Now he was afraid as to what she was going to do.

"No one dares call me a scumbag, especially an inferior woman like you! Learn your place, _vile woman_!" he spat at her.

The incredulous look melted into fury, a look full of hatred. Akira gulp as Soul's eyes seemed to pierce at Cato. If looks could kill, he'd be dead. Soul began to shake with fury as her sea green irises darkened and her pupils seemed to shrink, almost becoming slits.

"I'd _kill_ you right about now if I didn't have these damn cuffs on!" she shouted, looking at the dark haired man with pure bloodlust.

Before Cato could say anything, the door to the interrogation room burst open, causing everyone to look that way. A knight came through all out of breath while holding onto his bleeding shoulder. He looked up at Cato with terrified eyes.

"Sir, the Law House... has been broken... into..." he wheezed.

Cato sighed in annoyance, already fed up with today. His hazel eyes soon met Akira's dark brown ones, causing him to mentally flinch. Normally he wouldn't have been afraid of a guy like him, but since he had something against him, his boss was willing to use it at his advantage.

"Akira, go take care of those pesky little friends of yours and don't you dare fail," he growled before his lips pulled back into a cruel, knowing smirk. "We wouldn't want anything happening to little Hinata, now do we?"

Akira became stiff when he mentioned _that_ name. Of course, he always did use it for leverage in situations like these.

"I'll see to it, sir," Akira agreed with a low growl.

While he walked out of the room with an emotionless face, he was filled with fury once Cato mentioned _her_ name. If only she wasn't in the way, he would have killed that man a long time ago. Akira's hands balled up into fists as he sped walked to where he knew they were at. Three knights stumbled his way as he turned the corner of this bland hallway. Before they could say anything, the white haired knight immediately got straight to the point.

"Where are they?!" he questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly.

One of them pointed behind them before collapsing onto the floor. While the other two tended to their friend, Akira rushed passed them and sped walked toward the direction where they pointed at. The closer he thought he got, the more his stomach twisted with guilt. They were his comrades, how could he look at them in the face after all that's happened? Especially Blake, he's always been there for him no matter how many times he pushed him away with his cold exterior. He's the only person who understood him, the only one who could relate to how he felt.

 _"Oi, Akira!"_

 _A sigh of annoyance left his mouth as he looked back and saw none other than the obnoxious blond_ _running toward him. A look of distaste crossed Akira's face for a second before he turned back around and continued to skip rocks in the lake. It's only been a month since they graduated from boot camp, the two of them starting off as the rookie rank of Lancer. However, the blond_ _goofball managed to already rank up to the second rank of Lancer First Class. It's not fair, Akira busted his ass off this whole time and he had yet to rank up._

 _This job was fucking_ _biased._

 _The white haired soldier heard footsteps nearing him and eventually a new presence sitting down right next to him on the soft green grass. Akira didn't even have to glance to know that it was Blake because he's always coming after him. No matter how many times he tried to get away from him, the blond_ _goofball found a way to find him. It's pretty vexing and never fun._

 _"So, what are you doing here anyways?" he asked, curiosity clear in his voice. "It's better inside, you know."_

 _"I hate being in large crowds," Akira spoke in his usual monotone voice before throwing another rock into the lake._

 _"Oh, I never noticed."_

That's because you never bothered to remember.

 _As much as he wanted to say that, the white haired soldier knew it would cause unnecessary trouble. Just like with any other person in his situation, Akira bit his tongue and kept myself from saying something rude._

 _"Now you know," Akira spoke again, throwing a smaller rock. "You learn something everyday."_

 _"Nice!" Blake beamed, an excited grin on his face._

 _"You idiot..." Akira mumbled, bringing his knees closer to his chest. Blake looked over at him with a confused look on his face._

 _"What's today's reason for me being an idiot?" he asked, as if it was a daily thing with_ _them,_ _which it usually was._

 _Akira's right hand landed on a small rock as his eyes narrowed at the lake in front of him. Some of his inner anger began to bubble to the surface as his hand balled up into a fist with the rock in it._

 _"Learning that I don't like being in big crowds isn't "nice". There's a reason behind it, yet you didn't even bother trying to know why," Akira hissed, pulling his fist that had the rock back and then flinging it out into the middle of the lake._

 _A ripple effect could be seen as soon as the rock plummeted onto the water's surface. Akira hastily stood up onto his feet, grabbing his spear in the process. He could see Blake mimicking his actions. His confused blue eyes met Akira's angered brown optics._

 _"But that's because no matter how many times I asked you, you turn all hostile and yell at me to not ask that question again," he explained, still looking confused._

 _"You just don't get it, do you?!" Akira spat and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you really call yourself my friend, you'd understand that big crowds bring back bad memories!"_

 _Blake's confusion was then replaced with annoyance as he took a step forward toward the white haired soldier. The grip on Akira's spear tightened as his narrowed eyes soon glared at the blonde goofball._

 _"Because a friend wouldn't pry into matters like that," Blake claimed in a serious tone. "A real friend would respect another friend's choice of what they want that other person the know and not know."_

 _Akira was slightly taken aback by what he said. Blake didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd say something like that. A sigh escaped his lips as he pushed away a few stray hairs from his face._

 _"Look, I didn't have the best childhood ever and even to this day, I refuse to let any one know about it," he continued as he looked back at the river with an unusual dark gaze. "The reason I keep it hidden from the rest of the world is because it troubles me too much to relive those dark memories."_

 _Now that Akira thought about it, Blake never once told him about his past when he loitered around him at boot camp. As a matter of fact, he told the white haired soldier everything else but his past. Judging by that dark gaze, Akira knew that it bothered him to even mention it. Blake tore his gaze from the lake and looked back at him without that dark gaze, a knowing look crossing his features._

 _"You're thinking about it, aren't you," he stated._

 _"What are you—"_

 _"Who's the idiot now?" he teased, causing Akira to glare at him. "I'm saying that you're thinking about how my past troubles me and you respect my decision to keep it hidden. You know how I feel because you feel the same way."_

 _Wow, that's philosophical. Akira's glare softened once the blond_ _haired man cracked a grin his way. The white haired soldier dropped his gaze, slightly ashamed of having accused him of not bothering to learn more about him._

 _"It's okay, Akira." He waved off like it's nothing. "Sometimes it's best to learn why people run away from their past rather than finding out for yourself their actual past. Besides, what kind of friend sticks their nose into their private business?"_

 _That grin on his face broke Akira's monotone facade as a small smile tried to grace his lips. He believed that Blake, out of everyone else, actually tried to approach him and actually get to know him, despite his troubled past._

 _Akira believed he may have found someone who understood him._

The white haired knight gritted his teeth as tears began to prick his eyes. The sound of swords clashing with each other and walls breaking traveled through his ears, meaning that he was close. The closer he got, the more his guilt intensified. As soon as he turn this corner, he'd be seen as the enemy by his only friends. And Blake... who knew how he'd react.

Akira slowed down his speed walking into a normal walking pace, a single tear falling from his eye. Quickly, he wiped it away and tried his best to hold back his tears. His hand was brought back, grabbing the hilt of his samurai sword, and taking it out of its sheath. This was it, the moment he knew was inevitable. The moment he dreaded to be part of.

Once Akira turned the corner, he was immediately greeted by three exhausted knights and four equally exhausted Pokémon. All around them, local knights were knocked down unconscious sprawling all over the marble floor. The first one to acknowledge his presence was the blond idiot. A smile graced his face, causing the guilt to viciously bite at Akira internally.

"Guys, Akira's here!" he beamed, which caught the attention of his exhausted teammates.

They all looked at him, hope and relief glinting in their eyes that caused the guilt to tear him apart on the inside. Akira looked down, his white fringe shadowing over his regretful eyes as he bit on his lip. He could feel his grip on his samurai sword tighten and both of his hands started shaking. Tears lined his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away before they had the chance to fall. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he took a deep breath.

It's now or never.

"Akira?" Blake called out.

He didn't reply.

He couldn't reply.

Now's the time to talk through actions rather than words.

Akira got into battle position and looked back up at his former teammates with the harshest glare he could muster up. The sudden action caused them all to react with surprise, unable to comprehend what he was doing. Though, there's no denying it now.

A comrade just turned on their teammates.


	13. Revelations

Queen Rin sighed in a stressful manner as she sorted through all the documents given to her by Elliot Belray. Against the wishes of General Hayes, she wanted to learn more about why her closest allies wish to wage war on each other. She was well aware that this mystery was the whole reason the squadron was sent out, but she wanted to contribute something to this investigation as well. She may not have been as great as her late husband, but that didn't mean she was useless either.

She had a country to run as Queen.

Her hazel optics scanned each document, trying to retain its content. All of these documents were mostly about trading production, loans each country has done with one another, and diplomatic meetings. These were all dated back since the establishment of the alliance, during when her late husband was still young and reigning over Kanto as King. Just the thought of that man made her heart ache.

However, there was something in these documents she found rather strange. These documents were up to date, which Elliot had vouched to, yet something didn't look right. Queen Rin peered at the supposedly recent news concerning her allies.

As she was studying the documents closely, a knock on the door echoed through the empty room. Queen Rin sighed when her concentration was broken by the sudden presence.

"Enter."

The door opened and she looked up, seeing none other than General Hayes making his way toward her. She sat up straight and stiffly, hoping he wouldn't try to talk her out of looking into this matter.

"Milady." He bowed in respect. "I hope you aren't taking matters into your hands."

"Actually, I am," she revealed, causing him to frown in disappointment. "And thank Arceus I did too. Look at what I have found."

She signaled for him to come closer, to which he silently obeyed. It was difficult for him to hide his annoyance, but thankfully she was oblivious to it.

"What have you discovered, Milady?" General Hayes asked.

"Look at these," she ordered, setting two different documents aside for view. "Do you see something strange?"

"These are trade-offs between Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn." The general gave the blonde royal a strange look. "What about it?"

"The most recent ones were done around five years ago, when my husband was still ruling," she revealed. However, the General didn't seem fazed.

"I fail to see how this proves to be relevant, Milady."

Queen Rin narrowed her eyes at General Hayes. She was onto something, but he seemed to not understand that. The blonde royal sorted through the other documents and pulled out one that would contribute to her point. She sat it down onto the surface of the table for General Hayes to see.

"My husband was murdered five years ago," she claimed bluntly. "Don't you think that's a little strange?"

General Hayes reacted with surprise when a thought came to mind. He looked over at the Queen with an incredulous look.

"Milady, are you suggesting that—"

"One of our allies was responsible for his death?" Her hazel eyes darkened. "Yes, I am."

She held a small pack of documents in her hand and gave it to the General. He hesitantly took it out of her hands and went through its content himself, trying to figure out why on earth would the Queen herself accuse an ally for the death of her husband.

However, that's when he shut out all false judgement he held toward Queen Rin when he stumbled upon an unusual revelation.

Cato Hann, Fabian Starke, and Claire Ferguson. These names were on the nation's fugitives list; they're criminals who've caused trouble for other nations besides Kanto. What made matters even more complicated was that fact that these people were either native or residents of Johto.

"What does this mean, Milady?" General Hayes asked as he put down the documents onto the table.

"Either Johto has been brought to ruins or we've been betrayed." Her gaze dropped onto the documents as her hands balled up into fists. "And I have a sinking feeling that it's the latter."

"We must discuss this with Duke Belray and Father Malcolm at once," General Hayes declared with a hard look. "Not only are we looking at a possible violation of an alliance, but also a step closer to the unsolved murder of our King."

* * *

It's been awhile since Soul was taken away by Akira for questioning. Even though Aaron had a feeling that something was up from the beginning, he decided to keep quiet and see where they might end up. They found out that the Leon Gardiner they talked to today was a fake, but no one would have imagined that Akira worked for a bastard like him. Not only that, but Soul and Aaron were easily apprehended by those knights. he just wonder, what was going on right now?

Were the rest of the squadron even looking for them? Would they even be able to find them?

Then there's the problem with Akira. He betrayed them, no doubt about it now. Although, just by his presence alone, Aaron could immediately tell that he felt guilty about it. Maybe before they could be sure to label him a traitor, they must find out why he did it. There was no way he's the kind of person to backstab his comrades.

An impatient sigh escaped the aura guardian's lips. He's had enough of just sitting around in this cell doing nothing. Aaron got up from the dirty concrete and walked over to the bar doors. He took a deep breath before placing both of his hands on the bars. He closed his eyes and began to focus his aura to the maximum.

Concentrate.

Concentrate.

Concentrate.

Aaron felt the energy beginning to travel from his core, through his arms, and into his hands. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw his hands shining a light blue color. Now, for the real deal. With a loud grunt, he began to pull apart the bars that he took hold of. It didn't take long for them to bend and eventually break.

The bars fell onto the dirt ground with loud clanks while his aura went back to his core. Aaron was slightly out of breath, but he still left his cell nonetheless. Concentrating a lot of aura into one place could be pretty tiring, but it was worth it. Once he exited the cell, any nearby knight that guarded the cells down here came after the blue haired aura guardian. Without his staff, he was practically defenseless.

However, being an aura guardian came with its perks.

A smirk tugged at his lips as three of the knights charged at him with their spears. Aaron focused some of his aura into his hands and legs, causing them to glow a light blue color. He charged at the knights and quickly disposed of their spears to leave them defenseless. The knights were caught off guard, which was the perfect opportunity to land his hit.

Aaron snuck up on one of them and hit them in their pressure point to knock them out. He did the same thing with the other two, causing the three to simultaneously fall onto the ground unconscious. About six more knights ran his way, making him sigh in annoyance. He really didn't have the time for this, but without his staff, he couldn't take them down so easily. Once they circled him to trap him, Aaron focused a little more aura into his limbs to get the job done faster.

Within the matter of five minutes, the six knights simultaneously fell onto the ground unconscious. Aaron was out of breath from using more of his aura in combat, but it wasn't too much trouble. He had plenty of energy left for more if he needed to. After taking care of the knights, the aura guardian began to run toward the exit. However, as he ran, he heard someone from one of the cells call out to him, causing Aaron to stop running.

The aura guardian turned to his left and saw four people all gathered into one cell. One was a woman who seemed to be in her thirties with long ivory hair and onyx colored eyes. She wore a puffy light brown shirt with sleeves that reached her elbows, a dark maroon skirt that completely covered her legs and black flats. A small girl with short aqua hair was fast asleep on her lap, a tan cloak covering her. Though based on the troubled look on her face, Aaron could tell she might be having a nightmare.

The third person in the cell was a man who seemed to be the same age as the woman. He had messy aqua hair, similar to the little girl's, and brown eyes that seemed lost in thought. The man wore a beige button up shirt with the first two being unbuttoned which exposed his undershirt, black trousers, and brown shoes. The last man there was strangely familiar. Those icy blue eyes and dark brown hair were unmistakable.

"Leon Gardiner?" Aaron questioned.

The dark haired man looked up and saw him. He gasped and stood up from his spot and ran toward the bar door. The others looked at him and finally noticed that Aaron was here. A look of hope shined in their eyes, making the aura guardian wonder how long they've been held prisoner in here.

"Sir Aaron? Is that you?" Leon asked as if he wasn't going crazy.

"Yes," Aaron assured. "A few knights and I were sent to Azure Village on a mission about those fights you've mentioned back at Rota's last meeting."

Leon's content eyes were soon filled with anger as he gripped the bars tightly, his knuckles almost turning white. The aqua haired man stood up from his place and stood next to Leon, wearing the same angered look.

"That bastard!" the dark haired man snapped. "He snuck into the Law House and hypnotized all of my knights into thinking that he's me! He had them arrest me! Who knows what awful things he's done while I was here."

"Not only that, but he's using my own child to do his evil doings!" the aqua haired man exclaimed bitterly, obviously trying to control his anger.

"Kyran, please calm down," the woman hushed in a gentle voice, her gaze going from the man, Kyran, to the sleeping child. "If you shout any more, Hinata will wake up. She hasn't had a decent sleep in weeks."

Kyran's eyes widened slightly before dropping his gaze once he realized what he did. A sigh left his lips before he looked back at the ivory haired woman and then the sleeping child. A doleful glint in his brown eyes shined as he took in the sleeping face of the little girl.

"I'm sorry, Hana," he apologized in a sad voice. "I'm just worried for our child, that's all..."

"Just out of curiosity, who's this other child you speak of?" Aaron asked.

The aqua haired man turned around and faced the aura guardian, a longing and worried look on his face as he spoke out his name. Aaron's eyes widened in shock as that name left his mouth. If what he heard was right, then this must be his family. Kyran was his father, Hana his mother, and Hinata his little sister.

Maybe this was the reason Akira betrayed them. He wasn't a bad person after all.

* * *

"You're holding Akira's family hostage until he completes his job?!" Soul questioned, not believing what she just heard.

"That's right, vile woman," Cato answered, looking at her with distaste.

It infuriated her so much when he called her that. As soon as these cuffs come off from her hands, this bastard was dead! She'd chop off his head and place it on a stake to show everyone the bastard that dared mock her.

"Quit calling me that!" Soul bellowed, which brought more amusement to him than it did fear.

Oh, how much she wanted to rearrange it with her bare hands!

After she got that out of her system, Soul continued to think about Akira being blackmail. He didn't betray the squadron because he wanted to. This bastard in front of her had Akira's family in prison and was willing to kill them without a second thought if Akira didn't do his job. That's why he was up there fighting his own comrades, to protect his family from harm's way. Just how low could this bastard go?

Poor Akira, now Soul felt bad for thinking that he betrayed the squadron. He didn't do anything wrong; it's all this bastard's fault he was forced to do this. A dark look made its way onto her face as she gritted her teeth. Despite what happened today, Akira was still a member of the squadron that she's in charge of. She left on this mission with six knights and six Pokémon and she intended on coming back with the same amount as she left.

"So, you've been using Akira as nothing more than your mere pawn to do all of your dirty work?" Soul questioned with hostility.

"And so what if I did?" He smirked. "I did say I'd let the family go if he did what I asked of him, even if he died doing so."

"Who the hell are you anyway?" Soul questioned further, earning her a dark chuckle.

"Might as well tell you the name of the person who'll dispose of you soon enough." He shrugged, to which Soul responded with a glare. "The name's Cato Hann, second in command of the Johto Knights."

The Johto Knights? That couldn't be true, no way. What would someone like him, representing Johto, be doing here? Most importantly, what was he doing pretending to be one of Kanto's important people?

"You? Second in command of the Johto Knights? Don't make me laugh!" Soul spat bitterly.

"Don't you dare underestimate me, vile woman! I'll slap you again if I have to!" he roared.

Soul took deep breaths to calm down her sudden overload of fury. If she couldn't control her anger, she'd disrupt the constant flow of her aura, which could unbalance both her positive and negative essence. Once she felt more calm and in control, the blonde woman looked up at Cato with the smallest amount of curiosity.

"Are you the cause of the fights that have been going around?" she questioned, to which he shook his head.

"Not exactly," he admitted. "My men and I came out here to find Mew to restore balance to our nation. We'd do anything to keep it out of the reach of those mongrels from Hoenn."

"Why drag Kanto, your ally, into this mess?" Soul asked. "Are you willing to break our contract in order to obtain Mew?"

"We've already begun." Cato smiled evilly. "Had that bastard of a King helped our country during the crisis, Kanto wouldn't have to be part of this mess now."

"I see," Soul mumbled, but looked back up at him. "But that doesn't explain why you, of all people, had to force someone into something that isn't even your problem. Why, out of all people, did you pick on Akira to be your pawn?!"

"Because the boy was desperate!" he exclaimed with a sadistic smile. "He and his family escaped from the Tenjin Massacre with nothing but their rags. They were broke and in desperate need of a house, especially after little Hinata became ill. I gave him a job that paid well, he did everything I asked of him, especially murder."

"You had the poor man stain his hands with blood whenever you asked him too? Who'd stoop so low to do something like that?!" Soul barked.

Cato simply smirked at her angered reaction, as if finding joy in making her furious. That's it, she had enough of this asshole. He hurt her comrade in more ways than one, and no one messed with her team. Not only that, but anyone who had the guts to hit a woman wasn't going to live to see the next day under her watch! Cato Hann, you're a dead man!

Soul shut her eyes closed and used all of her concentration to focus her maximum amount of aura into her wrists and hands. Within the matter of minutes, she reopened her eyes and saw her hands shining a light blue color. The blonde woman glanced up at Cato, who seemed taken aback by her action.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!" he exclaimed, a tiny amount of fear clear in his voice.

"I'm an aura guardian," Soul claimed, a look of determination crossing her features. "And every aura guardian has a few tricks up their sleeves!"

In one swift movement, she pulled her wrists apart, breaking the cuffs that had her apprehended. The metal shackles broke into many small pieces and scattered onto the floor. Soul looked back up at Cato and saw a panicked look on his face as he stared at the broken cuffs. She took a step forward, causing his head to immediately look up at her. A scary smirk graced her lips as she walked closer to him, making Cato take a few steps back and closer to the exit.

"You messed with the wrong woman, vile villain," she sneered as her eyes glinted darkly.


	14. Knighthood

"Akira..." Blake mumbled in disbelief as he watched the white haired knight charge at him once again with his samurai sword.

The blond knight used his armor covered arm to block the sharp blade from hitting his shoulder, sending a loud clank ringing about in the air. Before Blake had time to make any sudden movement, Akira sent a kick his way. Blake tried to block it, but his opponent's strength was too much for him to withstand. Blake knew Akira put all his strength and effort into that kick because there's no way he could overpower the blond knight so easily. Blake landed back on the marbled floor with a loud thud, his sword sliding away from him upon his fall.

Before he could stand up to retrieve his sword, Akira points his samurai sword at Blake's neck. The blond knight looked up at him, his blue eyes making contact with his brown eyes that were void of any emotion. His lips tugged down into a saddened frown. This wasn't the Akira he'd known since boot camp. The Akira he knew would never point his sword at his friend.

"Akira, what's gotten into you?!" Blake yelled, his voice having a timorous tone.

The white haired knight bit his lip and avoided eye contact. Though he may not notice, he's completely nervous. The hand holding the weapon was shaking, causing the entire weapon to shake.

"Nothing's wrong with me!" he snapped forcefully, the tip of the blade barely touching Blake's neck.

A small bead of sweat ran down the side of his face as he watched Akira's eyes try to glare at him. As Blake look into his brown eyes, he could easily read them like an open book. He could easily see desperation and anxiety whirling around in those brown optics. Before he could open his mouth to question his best friend, someone tackled Akira to the ground. Blake got up with the help of Arcanine and saw that it was Axel who had knocked him away from the blond knight.

Akira easily shoved the black haired knight away from him and got back onto his feet again. He held his samurai sword tightly and swung at Axel, striking the gap in his shoulder that wasn't protected by his armor. Axel cried out in pain and fell to his knees, placing a hand on his now bloodied shoulder. Blake's eyes widened when he looked at the blade of Akira's samurai sword.

That weapon was not suppose to be stained with the blood of his comrade!

Axel's Houndoom ran to his master's side, looking at him with worry. Once the canine's eyes landed on his master's injury, Houndoom stood in front of him and snarled viciously at Akira, ready to kill him if needed. Taking this as an open opportunity, Mark charged at their new enemy, his large twin machetes ready to slice him up. Akira's eyes widened in fear, but he managed to block what would've been a fatal blow. However, this was just to distract him.

Mark's Mightyena snuck up behind him and chomped down on Akira's right arm. The white haired knight grunted, but even still, he tried to shake the Bite Pokémon off of him. However, they all knew that with Mightyena's strength, it was pointless. Based on the look of pain he held on his face, Akira might be starting to give in. A pang of sadness hit Blake's heart seeing his best friend in pain.

Eventually, Mightyena let go of Akira's arm, its fangs tainted with crimson blood. Akira held his bloodied arm closer to him as sweat dripped down from his forehead. Sensing as if he was no longer able to battle, Mark returned his twin machetes into their sheaths and walked toward Akira, his Mightyena walking along side him for protection.

"Akira," he called his name, disappointment clear in his tone. "How could you?"

Blake could visibly see the white haired knight flinch at that question, which left him quivering slightly. He looked so vulnerable and so weak. Akira was never like this. This wasn't the Akira who called Blake an idiot whenever he didn't keep up. This wasn't the Akira that tried to rival him in who could get the higher rank. This wasn't the Akira who Blake made friends with.

Through his ivory fringe, tears began to line his eyes as he kept his gaze at the marbled floor, while still clutching onto his bloodied arm that now stained the majority of his armor, painting it with the red liquid.

"I..." he mumbled quietly. "I just... wanted to save them..."

"What are you talking about?!" Axel snapped, causing the white haired knight to flinch.

"I didn't want to do this! I just wanted to save my family! I didn't want to betray you all!" Akira shouted, tears now completely falling from his eyes.

As soon as he let that out, something clicked within Blake, something that made him mad. The blond knight let out a 'tch' before marching toward him with a very furious look. Akira looked up, his eyes widening once they made eye contact with his angered blue optics.

"You idiot!" Blake barked harshly, picking up Akira by the shoulders and slamming him against the nearest wall.

"Blake, what are you—"

"Listen to me Akira," he demanded, keeping his angry gaze on the vulnerable knight's feared face. "I've known you for four years, four fucking years. Through those four years, we managed to blossom a friendship between us, despite you trying to push me away when we first met. You tried to keep up these walls to block me out, but I wouldn't allow that. You wanna know why?"

Akira didn't answer, just stared at him with those sad brown eyes that continued to release his silent sorrows. Blake's harsh gaze soften into a calmer, more sincere gaze. Despite what has happened today, Akira was still his friend. He's the only one who understood his pain and there's no way he'd let him go just because of this.

"Because whenever I look at you, I start to recall how we're alike. How we shared the same struggle of our own selves, how we hide our broken selves through the demeanor we create, how we're afraid of hurting the ones we love..." Blake trailed off as a sudden picture of a haunting memory crossed his mind.

"Akira, if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have of been where I am. I probably would've been all alone, without a friend to be there for me when I needed them the most," Blake concluded, ending it with a sincere smile.

A fresh tear streamed down Akira's slightly pale face. Before Blake knew it, he lunged at him, wrapping his arms around his neck despite one of them having been chomped down on by a Pokémon and buried his face into his shoulder. Akira's entire body shook as he finally let out all his sorrows and clung to Blake, as if he was afraid that if he'd let go, the blond knight would disappear. Blake chuckled under his breath, but hugged him back.

"I-I'm s-sorry! I'm so s-sorry!" Akira repeated through his sobs.

"Jeez, I never took you for a crier, Akira," Blake joked. "I guess you really do learn something everyday!"

 ** **WHACK!****

"Ow!" The blond knight whimpered as he rubbed the spot Akira had hit him at once he pulled away. "Why'd you do that?! You totally ruined the moment!"

"Well you should've kept your mouth shut, You freakin' idiot!"

Blake let out a 'tch' as he kept his hand on his head. One of these days, Akira would make Blake's death look like an accident! Still, it wouldn't be Akira if he didn't hit Blake at least once a day. Another chuckle left his mouth, causing Akira to look at him skeptically.

"What's so funny?" he questioned.

"Nothing, nothing." Blake tried to wave off.

"Now I'm curious, so spill," he urged.

"Yeah Blake, let's hear what you have to say."

The blond knight turned around and saw Axel and Mark looking at him with smirks on their faces, sending a small jolt of nervousness through his spine. Damn them, putting him on the spot like that! Blake rolled his eyes and looked back at Akira, who still kept his skeptical gaze at him. He sighed, but still spoke nonetheless.

"What I said earlier, I meant every word," Blake claimed. "I don't care if you did what you did back there to hurt me because at least I know why you did it. I know you Akira, and you'd never do something like that."

"You doofus," Akira mumbled, lightly shoving his shoulder. "Are you trying to make me cry again?"

At his comment, the Knights all laughed as he wiped away a stray tear that left his eye. Akira was never a traitor in the first place; he was just trying to protect his most precious treasure, his only reason to live, and Blake had more respect for him now because of that. He's brave, but sometimes bravery could be your greatest downfall. However, he'd make sure his best friend lived on because his own bravery would be the silver lining that carried him through any tough situation.

As their round of laughter slowly came to a stop, the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty area. They all turned around and saw Gallade running toward them with an anxious look on his face. He and Lucario had left earlier to go find Soul and Aaron. The Blade Pokémon skid to a halt as he reached them, his hands on his knees as he kept huffing and puffing in need of the air he left behind.

"Gallade, what's wrong?" Axel asked, eyeing the Blade Pokémon.

"It's... Soul..." he rasped with whatever breath he had left.

"W-What about Major?!" Akira questioned, appearing rather worried.

"She's... super pissed... at... fake Leon..." he replied.

Gallade took a huge deep breath and stood up straight. The first thing everyone noticed was the look of fear he had as his mouth kept moving at a fast pace. No one could understand what he was going on about; he was talking way too fast. He seemed to struggle to tell them what was going on.

"Whoa, hold on!" Blake exclaimed, causing Gallade to stop his rambling. "Take a deep breath, then explain. We can't understand you if you're rushing."

The Blade Pokémon did as he was told. He inhaled and exhaled quickly, but it soon slowed down into a normal breathing pattern. Once he got the oxygen he lost from running, Gallade stood up straight and regarded the knights with a serious look.

"It's Soul! She's coming after fake Leon looking super pissed off!" he anxiously exclaimed.

"What's the problem with that?" Mark asked, shrugging lazily.

"She's chasing him here!"

It took a moment for them to process what he just said, but then it finally hit them. If he's chased here, they could surround him and easily take him down. All of the local knights were still knocked down unconscious, leaving fake Leon completely defenseless. It would be six (plus six Pokémon) against one. Perfect.

"We can ambush him," Mark stated, a devious smirk tugging at his lips.

"Then we'll attack him head on," Axel added, the same smirk also playing at his lips.

"And there's no holding back," Blake finished. "Especially not after what he's put Akira through."

"Yeah!" They all cheered, raising their swords up in the air as the pointy blades barely brushed one another.

A genuine smile made a way onto Akira's face as he watched his comrades cheering for Blake's last statement. Even if they had to take down the enemy regardless, Akira was really touched that they would be glad to take down Cato because of what he made him do. As much as he hated that bastard, it was because of him that Akira met Blake, and not long after, he met Mark. He even made three more friends since he was chosen to aid Rota Knights on this mission.

Just thinking about Blake's last comment made Akira's heart warm up and grateful tears want to shed. Out of everyone, out of the entire battalion back in Indigo Palace, the blond idiot stuck to Akira despite him acting harsh toward him.

"Thank you..." he mumbled, his smile never fading away. Blake looked over at his friend, surprised that he didn't say some sort of snarky comment. However, he still managed to flash that goofy grin Akira never got tired of seeing.

"No problem!" he beamed, chuckling a bit at the end.

"Someone stop this vile woman!"

"You're a dead man walking, you damn bastard!"

All heads turned toward the hall that connected this room and the entrance to the underground dungeon. Before the knights knew it, someone had burst through the double doors frantically. Akira tried to restrain a laugh once he saw his ex-boss, Cato, all beat up with a bloody nose and a nasty looking black eye. Behind him was an insanely infuriated Soul chasing Cato with her sword that had some weird glowing blue hue to it. The squadron guessed that it's another skill that an aura guardian could perform.

Almost immediately, they all got into a position that would completely block off Cato from going any further. The dark haired man skid to a halt, searching for a way around them to escape Soul's wrath. If he wasn't so evil, Akira would have pitied him for being targeted by her. No one would want to be caught in her deadly wrath, especially since she's an aura guardian. Akira had a feeling that those who've experienced her wrath didn't live to tell the tale.

"You..." Soul muttered, her voice dripping with anger. A deadly aura surrounded her as she came closer to Cato with her sword ready. "You vile villain, I'm going to make you suffer a painful death. You don't deserve the chance to die a quick and painless death after everything you've done!"

Cato's eyes widened in fear as Soul approached him with a dark look. Her overwhelming fury had begun to strike fear in everyone else. However, they pushed it aside and focused on not allowing this bastard to escape again. Akira placed his hand on the hilt of his samurai sword that was sheathed in his scabbard, but immediately hissed in pain as soon as he made a tiny move. The white haired knight looked at his arm and grimaced once he saw that ugly bite on his arm.

How could he forget about an injury like that?

The stinging sensation on his arm returned greater than before. Akira hugged it close to his body using his other arm, feeling some warm liquid beginning to ooze through his fingers and trail down from the wound.

"N-Now now, Major Fraverden, I'm sure we can discuss this in a less violent manner...?" Cato whimpered taking a few steps toward the door Akira was near at. Soul scoffed at his pathetic attempt to save his life.

"You've lost that privilege as soon as you told me about your blackmailing my subordinate. I'm not easily forgiving!" she raged.

Cato gritted his teeth as he balled his hands into fists. His eyes narrowed slightly at Soul, which she was unfazed by. He still tried to make his way to the door near Akira and kept talking to Soul to buy time. The white haired knight glanced at Blake who was the closest one to him. He looked at Akira, then his eyes went to his injury.

His eyes widened slightly, now fully aware that he couldn't fight with an injury like this one. Slowly, the blond knight made his way over to Akira. Meanwhile, Cato was still stalling Soul even though everyone knew that his death was inevitable.

"I'm warning you, Fraverden. My men will find you and kill you!" he shouted at her, his voice breaking toward the end.

"They can't kill me if they're already dead," she replied in a monotone voice. "Look around you, Cato."

The dark haired man hesitantly stopped his walking and looked around. His hazel eyes widened at the sight of the fallen knights the others took care of before Akira came. Some of them were dead while some were unconscious. Although, he had a feeling that Cato's men were most likely dead.

"Y-You... killed them...?" he asked with an incredulous look.

"That's right," Mark confirmed, looking very stern. "They told us about your plans of posing as the representative and turn Azure Village into Johto's base for your knights. Did you honestly think we'd let them live to help you do something like that?"

"Damn, I should not have told those morons that part of the plan..." Cato mumbled. A devious smirk then appeared on his face. "Well then, it looks like I'm going to have to resort to drastic measures."

Before they knew it, Cato grabbed Akira roughly and forced his hands behind his back. He tried struggling to break free, but stopped as soon as he felt something cold and sharp pressed up against his neck.

"Now then," Cato chuckled darkly. "Will you still fight me, even if your subordinate's life is in my hands?"


	15. Family Matters

Soul's eyes widened seeing Akira being held against his will by Cato, a dagger pressed against his neck. The others tried to get at him, but this only caused the dark haired man to hold the dagger closer, right under his jaw. Akira flinched under the harsh contact, a small bead of his crimson blood trailing down his neck. The blonde woman cursed under her breath, trying to think of a way to get her comrade out of that position without him getting hurt or worse, killed.

If any of the knights made a move without thinking, Cato wouldn't hesitate to slide that dagger across Akira's neck. He's already made a small clean cut without even trying. Who knew how deep that dagger could dig in? Akira was already injured as it was with that nasty looking bite that's still bleeding, and Soul could tell he's already in a lot of pain based on the look on his face.

"Let Akira go!" Blake barked out in fury as he was about to recklessly pounce him. Luckily, Mark and Axel were there to hold him back.

"And let you people stop my plans? No way in hell!" Cato smirked triumphantly.

"Why did you infiltrate Azure Village and take Leon Gardiner's identity anyways?" Soul queried, still pointing her sword at him. "What are you really up to?"

Cato chuckled a humorless laugh, pulling an angered nerve within her. Whatever this guy was planning couldn't be good, which was established when he mentioned that he was second in command of the Johto Knights.

"You want to know my plans? Fine," he agreed. "We have been trying to get Kanto to join us in the war against Hoenn and defeat them. We went to Azure Village in hope of gaining support from one place in order for it to work in our favor, but that bastard Leon didn't want to help, saying crap like "Kanto is still recovering from a previous war that caused many deaths.""

Soul's eyes widened slightly as she recalled that last memory she had with her father before he left for war. She remembered him telling her that it was all going to be alright, telling her with that smile she missed so much that he was going to come back to her. She remembered him patting her head as she wiped away her never ending tears, her small body trembling from the sobs that had left her. She remembered him telling her he loved her before turning his back to her and leaving, her younger self calling out to him to not leave her alone.

But it was too late.

He left to fight a battle that would end badly. Rota's knights were victorious, but many lives were taken as a result, including her father. Soul's eyes darkened as her memories recalled the painful nostalgia that still ate away at her heart. Of course Leon would reject the stupid alliance. Many people, close friends and families, were killed!

"You ignorant fool," Soul growled hatefully. "Many people died in that battle! Of course Leon wouldn't want to drag his village, let alone Kanto, into an unnecessary war that has nothing to do with us!"

"Boo hoo, how awful!" Cato faked sympathy, making her blood boil. "Well guess what you vile woman, people die everyday! Be it by starvation, illness, or murder, they still die! What would be the difference if they died in battle, huh?!"

"They die defending their cause with honor!" she spat and glared daggers at him. "Something that you wouldn't understand."

"Careful with your words," he warned as he glanced at the dagger pressed against Akira's neck, the blade of the dagger glinting as it waited for blood to shed. "I have the power to end your comrade's life."

Soul sighed an exasperated sigh, closing her eyes momentarily. He's right, for once. One wrong word and Akira was dead. She just couldn't stand it when ignorant fools like him brought up something that seemed unimportant to them, but very important to the victim party. That war was brutal and for him to say that it's crap made her very furious.

Her face softened when her eyes landed on Akira's scared brown eyes. He was sweating, probably trying to endure the constant pain from that injury. Soul needed to get him out of that position before Cato changed his mind and just kills him.

"What will it take for you to let Akira go?" Soul inquired. Cato seemed surprised at the change of subject, but smirked nonetheless.

"Simple," he stated as he glanced at everyone else. "I want you all to surrender. Reject this proposition and Akira dies."

"Don't do it, Major!" Akira shouted immediately, but flinched as Cato roughly jerked him.

"Shut up," he growled at the white haired boy. "Don't interfere."

Soul bit her lip, removing her gaze from the two and looked down. Surrendering was a cowardice move, but at the same time, chivalry could be a knight's greatest enemy under certain circumstances. In this case, if they didn't surrender, Soul was going to lose someone from the squadron. But if they did surrender, Cato would most likely have them killed and drag Kanto into a war no one wanted to partake in. Kanto didn't need more unnecessary blood staining their grounds, but would it be worth it if she lost a comrade?

No, of course it wouldn't! It's never okay to sacrifice a life only to have many more at stake. Akira's family was also under Cato's constant watch, then there's everyone in Azure Village. It wouldn't be fair to anyone at all. Surrendering wasn't an answer, but neither was displaying chivalry. Then what was the answer?

This wasn't an easy choice at all.

"We trust you, Major!"

Soul was pulled out of her thoughts once she heard Blake's voice. The blonde woman looked up at her comrade, who was regarding her with a solemn look. Although his face seemed dignified, she could clearly see panic swirling around in his blue eyes.

"We trust you," he assured her.

"Major, you're a smart woman. I know we can trust your judgement," Mark added.

"We'll respect whatever decision you make," Axel added as well.

As much as they tried, it wasn't making it any easier. She could feel the nervousness begin to bubble at the pit of her stomach, the anxious sweat beginning to form around her temples. They're all counting on her for a decision that could save or kill a comrade they've all came close to. Akira wasn't just a comrade, he's a friend, and there's no way she was going to let a friend get killed right before her eyes.

"C'mon Soul, I know your judgement is better than anyone else's. Believe in yourself!" Gallade encouraged, making her realize her decision.

Soul shakily lowered her sword and closed her eyes, her eyebrows frowning as she came to make her final decision. As much as she hoped it didn't come to this, there wasn't any other choice.

"I sur—"

"Huh?"

Soul reopened her eyes, confused for a bit. Her confusion grew when she saw Cato's figure glow a light blue color. His hazel eyes were wide with surprise and confusion, trying to process what was going on. He tried to move his arm that was holding the dagger, but it only shook as he tried to fight the invisible force that held him back.

"W-What's going on here?" he questioned, frantically looking around.

None of the knights said anything, probably because even they were confused as to what's going on. Once he got silence as an answer, Cato glared at everything within his field of vision.

"Answer me dammit!" he demanded.

Once again, all he received was silence as an answer. Slowly, Cato unwillingly opened his arms, removing the dagger away from Akira's neck. As soon as his arms were wide enough to let him go, Akira dropped to the floor and clutched his injured arm to his chest. Immediately, Blake left his place and went to the white haired knight's side. A small Pokémon cry rang through Soul's ears as it came from behind her.

Slowly, she turned around and saw Akira's Lunatone levitating there with it's crimson eyes now glowing a light blue color. Something clicked in her mind once she saw it. Akira's Lunatone was the one who stopped Cato from possibly killing Akira. The blonde woman turned back around and saw Cato now floating above ground by at least five feet. The dark haired man struggled to move, but all he did was drop his dagger.

"Shit!" he cursed, watching as it fell from his hands.

The dangerous dagger dropped to the marbled ground with a loud clank, causing Soul to smirk. Without a weapon, he had no chance of making the knights back down anyone. Before she could jump in to completely mangle the sexist bastard that caused everyone so much trouble, something brushed passed her. Akira's Lunatone floated over to Cato, who was still glaring at everything his eyes landed on.

"Put me down! If you wish to live then you'd let me down this instant!" the dark haired man barked.

"It's all futile, Cato," Mark spoke, turning to the floating villain. "This fight is already over and you lost."

"You can't hurt our friend anymore, nor can you hurt anyone else," Axel added.

Instead of shouting some stupid retort, Cato broke out into painful yelling. That's when Soul noticed that his entire body was bent to look like a 'U' shape. Her eyes widened in surprise as her gaze went from Cato to Lunatone. Was this Pokémon really trying to do what she thought it's doing?

"T-There's something I should've told you earlier," Akira spoke in a weak voice. "Lunatone is very unforgiving when you hurt its master."

The knights all looked at Akira, all while Cato continued his screams of sheer pain. His body gradually began to bend the 'U' shape even further, causing his screams to become unbearable to even hear.

"A-Are you for real?!" Gallade shrieked like a little girl, receiving a nod from Akira.

"When someone wants to bring me harm, Lunatone will never forgive the person who tries to hurt me. Lunatone protects me no matter what, just like Papa always did for me," he added, a small nostalgic smile forming at his lips.

However, those unendurable screams of Cato's became louder than before. Those screams seemed to torment everyone's mind, causing a shiver to run down their spine. It only made them wish it would already end. Some felt as if they'd lose their sanity the longer they stayed in the same room as the screaming Cato.

Those blood curdling screams came to a sudden halt, caused by a loud and sickening crack. In one swift movement, Cato's body dropped onto the floor with a loud thud. Soul quickly made her way over to his now unusual shaped body and dropped own to her knees next to him. The first thing she noticed were his wide and terrified eyes, tears of pain still streaming down his face. The blonde woman placed two fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse.

Nothing.

Coming to this realization, Soul stood up and took a few paces away from the corpse of Cato Hann. She turned her gaze to everyone else who was watching her the whole time.

"He's dead," she coolly concluded.

A number of footsteps echoed through the hallway that led to this room. Out of instinct, Soul placed her hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword just in case there were any more knights that they missed or had woken up from their unconsciousness. As the footsteps became closer, she was able to sense their auras. There were six people, three familiar ones and three unfamiliar ones. Her hand went back to her side as they came through the hall and entered the room.

Lucario looked around, completely taken aback from many of the limp bodies that were here. Leon did the same, but he knew that many of them for the most part were unconscious. If they had killed a knight on accident, the squadron would be in so much trouble. Aaron look around as well, stunned at all the bodies that were sprawled out. His gaze landed on the squadron, replacing the shocked look into one of disapproval.

"You could've toned it down a bit y'know," he stated, sighing a bit.

"That's no fun at all," Soul retorted, earning her an eye roll from him as a response.

"Where is the imposter Leon?" Lucario asked.

Soul stepped aside, revealing the sickening twisted body of the said imposter. Lucario's eyes widened, probably not expecting to see such a deformed figure lying limply there.

"His r-real name is Cato Hann," Akira reported as he tried to walk over to the deformed corpse with the help of Blake. "He w-was second in command of the Johto Knights, one of three most wanted fugitives, and my ex-boss."

"No wonder that name sounded so familiar..." Blake commented, furrowing his eyebrows as he thought about it more.

"We'll look into that matter later," Soul informed. "For now, we've go—"

"Akira-nee!"

The white haired knight blinked in confusion, but tried to turn around, Blake still supporting him. Curious herself, Soul did the same and saw a man, a woman, and a little girl who clung to the woman's hand. They must've been the unfamiliar auras she sensed earlier. Taking a good look at them, Soul began to notice the resemblance they had to Akira, concluding that they must be his family that were hostages of Cato. The little girl ripped herself from her mother's hand and ran toward the white haired knight— hold on a moment.

Did she say... Akira- _nee_?

Once Hinata's familiar voice reached his ears, Akira's heart began to speed up from shock. He couldn't believe it, she was still alive. He watched as she tore herself from her mother's grip and ran toward the white haired knight at full speed. Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched her small figure run toward him with a smile on her delicate face. Akira couldn't take it anymore. He moved away from Blake and ran toward her as well, ignoring the pain that shocked through him.

In one movement, Hinata jumped at Akira, wrapping her arms around his neck as he knelt down and pulled her small figure closer to him. The tears silently fell from his eyes as he hugged his little sister tightly, as if she'd be taken away from him as soon as he let her go. He felt his little sister's body shake as she sobbed uncontrollably. A sad smile graced his lips while he used his good hand to stroke her aqua blue hair as a way to comfort her.

"It's okay, Hinata," he muttered softly. "No need to be afraid anymore. The bad man is gone now."

"A-Akira-nee!" she shouted through her sobs. "I-I was so scared!"

"Don't worry, Hinata. Everything will go back to normal now," he assured her, pulling away from their embrace.

Akira brought his hand up to the side of her face and wiped away the tears from her sad onyx eyes. Hinata's body still trembled, but she still managed to calm down a bit. The white haired knight smiled at his little sister as he moved away a strand of aqua hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Akira!"

He stood up from the floor and was immediately pulled into a tight embrace by both his mother and father. Akira felt Hinata wrap her arms around his waist and clung to him. Meanwhile, he couldn't move since he was trapped by his parents' embrace.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Hana mumbled, stroking her son's ivory colored hair.

"Thank Arceus that bastard isn't here anymore. We're free now, Akira. We're free from his grasp," Kyran said, his voice sounding so broken.

That did it, hearing his father's broken voice made Akira bawl his eyes out. The man he always looked up to as a valiant father figure finally broke down his tough exterior all because of him, his oldest child. Akira's body shook violently as a series of sobs escaped his lips. His eyes poured an endless stream of tears as he clutched onto his precious family.

He swore to Arceus he'd never, ever hurt them like this again.

* * *

"We thank you again for defeating the impostor," Leon bowed to the squadron.

The knights standing behind him in an organized formation also bowed as a form of gratitude to the six knights who practically saved the village from getting overthrown. Soul and the others executed a bow as well to acknowledge their thanks and apologies from all that happened. They only came here for information, but instead ended up getting dragged into a battle that was never suppose to happen.

"We could not stand by and let him do whatever he pleased," Soul informed, her eyes shining a dark glint. "Besides, men like him do not deserve the privileged to live."

"We were also able to get more out of it than we expected," Mark added with a smile.

"We learned new information that we sought after," Blake inputted, then glanced at Akira. "We also got to know more about our own comrade and friend."

Akira blushed a bit once those words left his mouth, but still felt touched by his kind words. The ivory haired knight smiled genuinely at Blake, who flashed him his famous grin.

"We are thankful for you helping us as well," Kyran said with a smile on his face.

Hana nodded in agreement as she squeezed Hinata's hand, who also seemed happy to be reunited with Akira once again. The aqua haired girl let go of her mother's hand and walked over to Akira. She suddenly wrapped her arms around Akira's waist in an attempt to hug the knight since she was rather short for her age. Akira chuckled a bit, but hugged her back nonetheless.

Kyran turned to Aaron with a smile that was filled with gratitude. The aqua haired man stuck out his hand toward the aura guardian.

"If it was not for your help, we would have still been captured and possibly never see our own child," Kyran spoke with gratitude. Aaron smiled and shook that man's hand.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Soul turned to Akira. "When were you going to tell us you were a woman?"

As that question left her mouth, everyone froze. Nobody said anything for a bit, trying to process what Soul had just asked. Hinata turned to the blonde woman, confusion swirling in her onyx optics while Akira shrugged. Kyran and Hana looked at each other, amused that their daughter kept her gender a secret even though it wasn't necessary. The ones who clearly seemed shocked about this sudden revelation were the knights, Leon, and the rest of the squadron.

"Um, well..." Akira mumbled, scratching the back of her neck nervously. "I—"

"Akira-nee was always a lady!" Hinata exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to hide it!" Akira defended, waving her hands around as everyone kept staring at her. "It just sort of... happened. Everyone assumed I was a man because of my very short hair, so I just went along with it."

"Hold on a minute," Axel interrupted, all eyes on him now. "So, Akira's actually a woman?"

"What...? Have we been punked?!" Gallade exclaimed, which earned him a bonk to the head by Lucario.

"No, you fool! Akira really was a woman this whole time. Could you not tell?" He looked at the said female. "The big eyes, the feminine face, the long fringe, the voice... it was only obvious."

The knights from Azure Village did a once over look on Akira, who now seemed uncomfortable with all the staring that was going on. Many of them agreed on how feminine she appeared. The only one who was still processing what was going on was Blake, who just stared ahead with an anguished look on his face. He still couldn't believe of what was revealed today. No, more like he was confused about it.

The first one who noticed Blake's frozen state was Mark. The black haired man rose an eyebrow at the blond knight and walked over to him. He brought his hand up near his face and snapped his fingers repeatedly.

"Hello-o, Earth to Blake," Mark said with a loud voice.

Hearing his comrade call his name, Blake snapped out of his confused daze and blinked a few times. He looked over at Mark, who still rose an eyebrow at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Akira's a woman..." Blake mumbled incredulously, now accepting the realization. "She was a woman this whole time and I didn't know."

Memories of their time together flashed before his eyes, recalling all the times they've talked, fought, sparred, and overall, the times they've gone into contact with each other. A heavy blush appeared on Blake's face as he took a look at Akira, who still looked awkward from the attention she received. This whole time, he thought his best friend was a man who he enjoyed to tease. Now, he knew that Akira was a woman who he'd been teasing this whole time.

Blake turned away, his blush becoming darker from embarrassment. His Arcanine gave him a weird look, but didn't question it since he knew of the situation. Meanwhile, Akira glanced around awkwardly at everyone. The knights were mumbling something to each other, Kyran and Hana were laughing with each other on the sidelines, Gallade was still confused at the whole situation while Lucario, Aaron, and Soul seemed unfazed by the truth. Even if Akira was a woman, it didn't change their opinion of her.

After all, she's still Second Class Knight, Akira Minami. She's still a knight who was chosen for the squadron to assist in a mission that could prevent an upcoming war on Kanto's grounds.

"Even so," Soul started, causing everyone else to be quiet. "Akira is still a knight who is part of the squadron. She is still aiding us on a very important mission."

"That is correct," Aaron added, then turned to Kyran. "I apologize Mr. Minami, but Akira has to stay with us until this mission is over. I really am sorry about taking your daughter away from you like this."

"Papa," Akira called out, catching her father's attention. "Even though Cato forced me into becoming a knight, I've learned to love my job. Along this journey of mine, I've learned new things, I've met amazing people, and..."

Akira looked at her comrades— no, her friends. Each one of them gave her a genuine smile, which brought a smile onto her face. Her eyes shined with a sentimental glint as she looked at them. Akira brought her gaze to her father, giving him a genuinely happy look.

"I've made friends who I can count on."

Kyran looked surprised at first, but then let his gaze fall to the ground. He knew it was going to come to this, no matter how much he didn't want it to happen. Even if it was just for a mission assigned to her by Cato, Akira was still a knight serving in the Indigo Palace Knights. She couldn't quit her job just like that, especially when she's helping the other knights to prevent something that could bring harm upon Kanto once again. As much as he wanted Akira to be with her family once and for all, he knew the selfish act would affect everyone in more than one way.

A sigh escaped Kyran's mouth as he ran a hand through his messy aqua hair. Hana looked at him with worry, knowing that he's thinking about Akira. She felt the same way as her husband, but it broke her heart into two. She just got her daughter back, and it's only natural that she wouldn't want to let her go again. After all, no one knew when the mission would be over. No one knew when they would come back.

"I knew this was going to happen," Kyran admitted with a sad smile. "Once Akira told me she was a Second Class Knight in the Indigo Palace Knights and as well part of the squadron, I knew we could not have her back so easily."

"Papa..." Akira mumbled, gazing sadly at her father.

"We want Akira to be with us, we want her back more than you can imagine," Hana added. "Akira is, and will always be, our little girl. However, there is a time in every parent's life where they have to accept the fact that their child will grow up and leave one day. A parent cannot be selfish enough to take away their freedom, no matter how much they want them to stay."

"That is why..." Kyran sighed, his eyes becoming glossy with tears. "We have to learn to let go of our child. She has grown into a wonderful, smart, and beautiful young woman. She is now walking along her own path into the adult world. I mean, look at where she ended up. A knight with a high rank and is now assisting in a mission that may possibly have their names scorched on Kanto's history records."

A tear left Kyran's eyes, causing Akira's own eyes to well up with tears. Hana grabbed her husband's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He glanced at his wife, nodding his head, and then looked back at Akira.

"Akira, you can still be part of the squadron and continue being a knight."

Now it was Akira's turn to cry. Tears silently fell from her brown eyes as she walked up to her mother and father. She immediately pulled them into a tight hug with a smile on her face. Everyone watched as the family said goodbye to their child, finally letting go. Mark, Blake, and Axel smiled at the touching moment between Akira and her parents. Soul on the other hand, seemed happy for Akira, but her sea green eyes had a melancholic glint to it. It was because seeing Akira bidding farewell to her parents reminded her of when her own father bid her farewell before leaving, only to never come back in the end.

Aaron noticed Soul's sudden change in mood. He took one look at her eyes and suddenly knew of what she was thinking, it was obvious to anyone who knew of her past. He looked away once understanding why Soul felt that way. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he had to hold back.

Akira pulled away from the warm embrace, smiling softly at her parents as one more tear left her eye. Her parents returned the smile, despite how much it would break their hearts once she's gone again.

"Akira-nee!"

The white haired woman turned around, wiping her tears away while doing so. Hinata walked up to her, a look of worry and denial clear on her face. Out of all of them, Hinata was going to be the most affected by Akira's leaving. She and Akira had a strong bond, and when Akira was forced away by Cato, she was heartbroken. Hinata cried herself to sleep almost every night and prayed to Arceus that she'd come back the next day.

"A-Are you..." Hinata tried to ask, but she was already on the verge of tears since she knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry, Hinata." Akira smiled sadly. "But I must leave again."

"B-But why, Akira-nee?! We j-just g...g-got you b-back..."

"I know, but I can't just drop the job I've been given. This is important Hinata, it has to be done."

She couldn't take it anymore. Hinata dropped to her knees and began to cry. Sobs left her mouth shortly after. She tried to wipe away the tears, but it seemed to flow like a never ending stream. Akira gazed sadly at her little sister, her heart twisting painfully watching her cry. Leaving again wasn't the easiest thing to do and everyone knew that.

Akira knelt down next to Hinata and brought her closer to her. The aqua haired girl immediately wrapped her arms around her older sister, burrowing her face into the crook of Akira's neck. Akira softly rubbed her sister's back in an attempt to calm her down, which sort of worked.

"This isn't easy for me to do, Hinata," Akira mumbled. "It was great to be with you and Mama and Papa once again, but I can't leave my comrades behind just like that. We're a team, and a knight doesn't turn their back to their comrades."

Hinata's sobs seemed to gradually become quieter and quieter with each word Akira said. The aqua haired girl slowly pulled herself away from her older sister and looked at her with sad and teary eyes. Akira smiled and wiped away a tear that fell from Hinata's eye.

"I promise you, I'll come back," she vowed. "I'll come back no matter what."

Hinata sniffled and nodded her head, even though on the inside she wanted to keep her sister here with her. Akira stood up and walked to her teammates while Hinata walked over to her parents. The air around them seemed to bring a serene atmosphere upon everyone, taking away any lingering negativity. Soul smiled at Akira once she stood next to her, and Akira returned the smile. Leon cleared his throat and stood in between the squadron and everyone else.

"Do not worry about your family, Miss Minami. We will have an arrangement to let them live here as a thank you for defeating Cato Hann," he informed.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Akira replied.

"We will be on our way then," Soul spoke, turning to the path that led to the next route. "Let—"

"Wait!" Leon shouted, causing Soul to stop.

The blonde woman froze for a moment, then turned around. Leon fiddled with his fingers a bit, seeming nervous about something. Soul sensed an anxious aura emitting from the dark haired representative, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"Yes?" she asked.

"W-Well um, I... I was... w-wondering..." he stuttered and then gulped.

Soul gave him a quizzical look, confused as to what was going on with him. Leon sighed as one of his eyebrows furrowed and a small blush formed onto his face. He looked straight into Soul's blue eyes with as much confidence he could muster up.

"W-Will you go out with me?!" he suddenly blurted out.

"Huh?!" everyone exclaimed.

Soul seemed taken aback by the sudden question. She didn't expect that from him at all. Akira, Blake, and Gallade seemed dumbfounded while Mark and Axel felt bad for the poor man, knowing exactly what Soul was going to say. As for Aaron, he felt something inside him once he heard Leon ask that question. He didn't know what it was, but it made him feel protective over the blonde woman and also mad at Leon.

Realization hit Soul once she understood what was going on. The anxiety, the fiddling, the stuttering, the blushing... He was nervous to ask her out. Soul blushed lightly at the kind gesture, but she knew what she had to say.

"I'm sorry Leon, but I have to deny that offer. We must get to the next location as quickly as possible. Goodbye!" she answered quickly, turning back around and walked away.

The rest of the squad shrugged in amusement, but followed her nonetheless. The six knights and Pokémon crossed the village's exit and started route to their next destination.

Nebesa Town.


	16. Dark Tales (Part I)

"Okay, I think we'll stop here and call it a day," Soul ordered as they entered a clearing.

Akira sighed with relief and immediately dropped to her knees. Her legs were aching, her back was hurting, and her injury was adding onto the burden of walking. The bandages wrapped around it stopped the bleeding, but it still burned at random times. Not only that, but she was also starving and very sleepy. Who could blame her? They did walk for five hours straight without any breaks, courtesy of Soul's orders.

It was really dark out, letting the knights assume that it was passed midnight. Their next destination was Nebesa Town. It's location wasn't nearby, far from it actually. If Akira were to guess when they would be arriving if they kept up their current pace, they may arrive in three days or so. They had spent more time in Azure Village then they had anticipated, so it was understandable why Soul doesn't want to stop for a break.

"Thank Arceus!" Gallade exclaimed as he dramatically fell onto the soft ground. "I thought I was going to die!"

"From walking?" Soul questioned, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at her Pokémon.

"Duh!" he replied, to which the blonde woman rolled her eyes at.

"Don't think just because we've stopped means that we aren't going to work," she stated, in which pretty much everyone groaned at.

As much as Akira didn't want to admit it, she felt the same way. She was extremely tired from all the crap that went down today and as well as all the walking. There was nothing more that she wanted besides a damn break, but she didn't want to argue with Soul about this matter. Everyone knew that once she made up her mind, there's no way to change her decision. However, it seemed as though a certain blond goofball didn't quite understand that.

"But Major!" Blake whined, his Arcanine also whining. "I'm tired!"

"See?! I'm not the only one!" Gallade shouted, pointing childishly at the blond and his partner.

"Look," Soul started, narrowing her eyes at them. "I'm just as tired as you, but we still have to prepare this clearing. Unless you want to get mangled by an Ursaring, you listen to what I say. Got that?"

"Yes ma'am!" they shouted, looking rather intimidated.

"Good." Soul nodded. "Now go gather some firewood."

Nodding, Gallade and Blake hastily stood on their feet and ran deeper into the forest for firewood. Blake's Arcanine sighed before calmly getting on all fours and following his doofus master. Sometimes Akira wondered how the poor Pokémon was able to put up with Blake's idiocy. After seeing they were out of sight, Soul turned back to everyone else and gave them the same demanding look she gave to Gallade and Blake.

"Let's set up the camp. We have things to discuss right after."

* * *

Akira heavily sighed as she repeatedly brought her samurai sword down onto a log to try and cut it in half. Since the damn thing kept falling over while she did so, the white haired woman had Lunatone use Psychic to keep it in place. The log was almost cut down the middle, just a few more swings should split it completely. Sweat trailed down the side of her face and her arms burned from so much swinging. Akira used her uninjured arm to wipe away the sweat before going on.

With a loud cry, she brought her samurai sword up and swung it down with so much force. It was enough to finally break the log down the middle. Akira fell to her knees once again due to all the tiredness that consumed her. Once she recovered a bit, the white haired woman turned back around to Soul, who was setting up the fireplace.

"All done, Major!" she shouted.

"I'm done too!" she heard Axel shout.

"Bring them over and set them down near the fireplace!" Soul replied from where she stood.

Akira turned back around, only to find Lunatone using Psychic to lift up the two pieces and brought them over to where Soul was. A small smile made its way onto her lips, silently thanking her Pokémon for helping her. Without Lunatone around, she'd have trouble doing a lot of things.

After the fire was set up thanks to both Blake's Arcanine and Axel's Houndoom, the squadron all sat around the fire and silently ate. It's been so long since they had something to eat and they had to skip lunch because they were behind schedule. As soon as Akira sank her teeth into her sandwich, she was very happy. She was positive everyone seemed satisfied with finally having food in their stomachs.

Once everyone was done with their late lunch, Soul gathered everyone's attention. In her lap was a brown leather journal, which everyone understood it was time to report in what they found out. A sigh escaped Akira's lips, remembering of what she had learned while she was still working for Cato. As much as she wanted to forget, the white haired woman knew this certain piece of information would prove to be important for this mission.

"Alright," Soul mumbled as she opened the notebook to a new page. "First up, Axel and Mark. Anything to report in?"

"Yes," Axel answered. "Mark and I interrogated two knights, one from the Johto Knights and the other from the Hoenn Knights."

"The Johto Knights are an unofficial unit," Mark explained. "Once they've accomplished what they set out for, they'll disband. After the overthrow of the Elder and Minister, their nation went completely out of control. They lacked morality, discipline, and sense of justice."

Soul wrote down everything that was coming out of Mark's mouth. Everyone seemed interested to know what they were able to find out while the rest of them were in a situation.

"Based on what the knight said, Johto is still on the brink of falling. Those who still have their humanity intact have come together and formed the Johto Knights. They're on a quest to find—"

"Mew?" Soul inquired. Axel and Mark seemed surprised, but nodded nonetheless.

"Uh, Major? How did you know about Mew?" Mark asked.

"While we were in Heiwa Town, I did some research of my own at the inn's library," she explained. "Continue."

"They said once they find Mew, they'll bring it back to Johto and use its power to bring peace and save their nation. That's their sole purpose for being here and searching for the legendary Pokémon," Mark concluded.

"That explains why Cato kept pestering Aaron and I about Mew then. In a strange way, their violation of the contract made sense..." Soul mumbled to herself, nodding her head.

"What do you mean, Major?" Blake asked.

"Cato admitted on being second in command of the Johto Knights. Something about that doesn't sit right with me though. Why would a person like him be in charge of a military force?" She turned back to Axel and Mark. "Anything else? What about the other nation's military?"

"The Hoenn Knights are possibly after the same thing," Axel reported. "The guy I interrogated said that some guy and his followers tried to summon the Weather Trio in order to have complete control of Hoenn, but it backfired. Groudon and Kyogre fought against each other rather that listen to the person in possession of the Red and Blue Orb."

"Well of course they would fight," Aaron commented. "One rules the land while the other rules the sea. If either one crosses the other's territory, it could bring about the end of the world."

"Apparently the one who summoned them was clueless about that," Axel explained further. "The people of Hoenn were lucky Rayquaza came in to stop them before they could blow Hoenn into oblivion. However, just because the two legendary Pokémon were stopped, doesn't mean Hoenn and the people didn't suffer. It was in complete shambles and it was overall a disaster. It would take a miracle for the nation to be restored to how it once was."

"And that's where Mew comes in, am I correct?" Soul asked, looking up from her notebook. Axel nodded his head and she went back to writing in the notebook.

"The king of Hoenn handpicked whoever was left and formed a temporary unit we know now as the Hoenn Knights. They'll disband once they get what they set out for, to find Mew."

Soul nodded and finished up writing the report. Once she was done, she looked up and nodded her head at Axel and Mark.

"Well done, you two." She smiled at the two.

"Perfect!" Blake exclaimed standing straight up and laughing awkwardly. "Now that that's over with, we can finally—"

"Blake, sit. Now," Soul sternly ordered.

The blond knight slowly brought his awkward laughter to a stop and soon became quiet. His fake grin slowly dropped into a frown as he slowly sat down. His blue eyes seemed to become dull as he stared at the fire intently. Akira grew confused at Blake's sudden change in behavior, but then she realized something.

Soul wanted an explanation for why he attacked them when they were on their way to Azure Village.

There was never a clear explanation of what really happened. So many questioned followed the whole group that day, so many questions about Blake and who he was. Mark and Akira were just as clueless as everyone else was when it came to Blake. They now realized how little they knew about where he came from.

Soul closed the notebook and put it away in her bag. She looked at Blake with a serious exterior, everyone else doing the same. It seemed like today would be the day when Blake's past would be revealed.

Blake moved his gaze from the fire to the captain, who looked at him sternly. He felt more pairs of eyes staring at him, expecting him to start talking. A sigh escaped his lips as his fringe covered his eyes. This past of his wasn't something he enjoyed remembering, let alone talk about it. He hated it, he hated it so damn much.

The blond knight took a quick glance at Arcanine, who was now fast asleep. Thank Arceus for that, or else hearing about what happened to them could have triggered the beast within. Besides, it would be best if Blake told this tale without him. He's his best friend and all, but this past was something he hated more than anything. Now, his darkest history was about to see the light.

"Blake," Soul called out to him, though he didn't bother looking at her in the eyes. "Whatever it is, you know that we're all here for you. No matter what you have to say for yourself, remember that we won't turn our backs to you."

Everyone gave a sign of agreement, making him smile on the inside. He just hoped they keep their word on that. They're the only people he's come to grow attached to. If they left him, he'd be alone again.

Here goes nothing.

"What happened the other day..." Blake gulped, trying to keep himself calm. "It had to do with those twins, the Devilry Brothers. It's all because of them the demons inside Arcanine and I were unleashed. In fact, it was all their fault. Everything..."

"What do you mean?" Akira asked, worry lacing her voice.

"Seven years ago, a cult from the Almia nation settled themselves in my village. They were said to travel around the world in order to spread word of their religion. I was thirteen years old at the time, and I didn't know a thing about them. I reacted with curiosity when I first saw them. My mom, on the other hand, seemed suspicious."

 _Thirteen year old Blake watched as a group of people wearing velvet red cloaks walked through the streets. Curiosity brimmed his thoughts as he watched them walk off into the distance to an area that the village never used. The blond_ _boy looked at his mother, whose eyes still lingered on the cloaked people._

 _"Hey, Mom?" Blake asked, which caused her to tear her gaze away from them and look at her son._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Who are those people?"_

 _His mother's blue eyes flashed with vigilance, but still smiled nonetheless. Blake's confusion grew more seeing his mother's two faced reaction._

 _"They're nomads who originally came from Almia. They travel around the world in order to spread word of their religion and are said to supposedly perform magic," she explained, but then turned her attention back to where the cloaked figures walked off to. "And it looks like they came to Kanto for that same reason."_

 _Blake looked at his mother's face and saw her smile drop into a frown. Her eyes remained the same, still filled with vigilance. It was unusual for her to react that way to newcomers. She was usually opened about new people coming to the village and welcomed them nicely. Why was she acting different toward this cult?_

 _Young Blake didn't know the answer, until a few months later._

"It wasn't until later on that I learned why my mom was so cautious of the cult. Ever since they came, villagers started going missing. We lost about one fourth of the population in about five months, but I soon learned the dark truth on that one, fateful day..."

 _Blake walked along the pathway that led back to the village, a basket filled with groceries in his hand. A groan of annoyance left his mouth as he felt the sun's rays hit his face. He brought his unoccupied hand up to his face and wiped away the sweat that lingered near his hairline._

 _"That's the last time I'm going to pick up the groceries without that hat. It may be ugly as hell, but at least it blocked the sun from me," Blake grumbled, annoyed as he felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face._

Dammit, Mom. Why did you make me go get the groceries?! I could've watched the soup while you were gone! Ugh, whatever _, he thought to himself._

 _Once he finally arrived at his house, Blake placed the basket down next to him and opened the door. The first thing he was greeted with was the sight of his mother, knocked out, and over the shoulder of a person wearing a crimson velvet cloak. Another one was looking through a desk that belonged to his deceased father. A gasped escaped his lips as he watched with wide eyes at the sight. It seemed as though his gasp alerted them of his presence because they both froze and slowly looked over at the blond_ _boy._

 _Before he could do anything, one of them swiftly ran toward him. Blake felt pressure at his neck and before he knew it, he blacked out._

* * *

 _His eyes fluttered opened while a small and tired moan escaped his mouth. The blond_ _boy blinked a few times, trying to clear the hazy vision he woke up with. Once it was clear enough, Blake looked around. His eyes widened when he found himself in a cell, trapped like a wild Pokémon. How did he get here?_

 _The last thing Blake could remember was seeing those cult members, one raiding his father's desk and the other with his unconscious mother over their shoulder. He panicked at the realization of his mother. The blond_ _boy was about to stand on his feet, but something pulled his back down. That's when he noticed the shackles that were placed on him._

 _Blake had no idea how long he was pulling on his restraints, but it was long enough for two cult members to stop by his cell. The bar doors in front of him open and the velvet cloaked people walked toward him. Panic began to rise within his body as they towered right over him, like a predator towering over its prey before it devoured it. Blake pinched his eyes shut, waiting for his end to come. But his feared death never game._

 _An unlocking noise caused Blake to reopen his eyes. The shackles that restrained him were off, but it didn't mean he was free. The cult members each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him out of the cell. Blake kicked and screamed, telling them to let him go so he could find his mother. All his resistance went ignored as they continued to drag him into a different room._

* * *

 _Blake's eyes were wide with fear as he stared at the events that occurred in the chamber. In the center of the room was a pentagram that seemed to be painted with dark, crimson blood. A candle was placed at all five points, while more candles surrounded the chamber's perimeter. Every single cult member surrounded the pentagram, but left a pathway to where the exit was located. The set up alone ma_ _de_ _Blake want to vomit._

 _Two men were standing at the opposite end of the chamber, one holding an old book and another kneeling down with his hands on the pentagram. Blake's gaze roamed down to the center of the pentagram, disbelief clear in his eyes as they landed on a little girl. She was clearly panicked and afraid, her mouth letting out small sobs. The tears in her eyes and her shaking figure made the blond_ _boy panic even more._

 _"M-Mommy... I-I want my m-mommy..." she cried._

 _Poor girl._

 _"Silence, you filthy mortal!" the one holding the book spat._

 _What surprised_ _him_ _was the_ _fact that the_ _little girl actually obeyed instead of throwing a tantrum like_ _Blake_ _had expected. The man cleared his throat while tears silently trailed down the little girl's pale face._

 _"We will now begin the Sacrificial Ceremony for our Lords. Start your prayers once Lucifer and I start reciting the verse from the Book of Infernum. All must be perfect or else this sacrifice would been for nothing."_

 _"Let's not forget that we lost one hundred and twenty seven sacrifices for nothing. Either we're doing something wrong, or we have yet to find the right vessels," the other man added._

 _Blake's panic soon turned into fear once he said that. All those villagers that went missing, they were all brought here and killed. And for what, the sake of their stupid religion? This... this was unbelievable. No, this was morbid and twisted._

 _Just what kind of logic made this cult run?!_

 _The entire cult obeyed the man and they all pressed their palms together in front of their faces like one would do when they pray. The only ones who didn't_ _participate_ _were the ones who were keeping Blake on hold. The man holding the book cleared his throat once again and began to recite something from the book he held in his hands._

 _"Demons of the Underworld, I summon thee. Let thy presence live within this mortal. We offer thou a vessel to rise once again, O Demons of the Underworld. Bless us with thous't presence roam this Earth!"_

 _The pentagram began to glow an ominous shade of red, streaks of red light emitting from the star in the center. The circle of the outside soon began to glow. As the man repeated the verse, the pentagram glowed a brighter red. The little girl in the center of it began to scream in pain, squirming to escape the pentagon. Her teary eyes were wide, her pupils quivering the longer she stayed there._

 _Streams of crimson blood escaped her mouth and veins around her eyes popped out, making Blake visibly cringe. Her screams became louder and filled with agony, sending shivers down his spine. It felt as if he was trapped in an asylum. The only difference would be that everyone here were the crazy ones, except for those who were brought here against their own will. It was insane!_

 _"O Demons of the Underworld, rise!"_

 _His terror intensified as he watched the little girl's eyes roll to the back of her head, her eyes now empty of irises. Her screams never stopped, it just repeated as if it was on a loop. Blake pinched his eyes shut, not being able to continue watching. What was going on here?! What were they doing to that little girl?_

"The cult was no ordinary organization. They were morbid and twisted. They used people as sacrifices for their dark deities. It explained what happened to all those missing villagers, but knowing what happened to them was enough to haunt me for the rest of my life. I was there, watching them sacrifice a little girl to their stupid gods."

"...What happened to her?" Axel hesitantly asked.

 _The seemingly endless screaming was brought to an abrupt silence, but it was soon followed by a sick splattering noise. Blake was too scared to open his eyes to see what happened, too scared to take in what happened. Whatever it was, sure didn't sound too good. He heard a sigh of exasperation and the sound of a book closing._

 _"Looks like she wasn't a suitable vessel after all."_

 _"Nice going, Lucius. Now you've added on to the number of unsuccessful sacrifices."_

 _"Whatever, we still have until sunrise... and it looks like our next sacrifice has arrived."_

 _"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that kid. Bring him over here boys!"_

 _Next thing Blake knew, he was being shoved forward. He had no choice but to open his eyes, but he instantly regretted it. The little girl was no longer there, more like she was scattered all over the pentagram. Bits and pieces of her flesh were everywhere. Her blood tainted the floor, making it look like someone had dropped paint all over the floor._

"She was blown into bits," Blake answered him.

The squadron seemed taken aback. Akira and Soul gasping while the others gulped. The blond knight looked up at them and the first thing he saw were their incredulous gazes. Akira leaned in closer, her eyes seemingly filled with fear.

"W-What do you mean she was blown into bits?!" she exclaimed.

"She wasn't suited as a vessel; it was too much a burden on her," He explained. "Whenever a person is rejected as a vessel, the magic that was already placed in them expands and blows them up."

The white haired woman coiled back, tearing her gaze away from everyone and settling them on the fire in front of the knights.

"After she was passed on as another failed sacrifice, it was my turn to become the sacrifice. The cult members who brought me there tied my hands and feet so I wouldn't escape, no matter how much I squirmed. I was so scared, to the point where I started crying."

 _"Let me go! Let me go! Mom, I need to get her! Please!" Blake screamed, tears rapidly flowing down his face._

 _His cries went unheard by the others. He should've known he was helpless_ _;_ _there was no way those cult freaks were going to help him. Was this it? Was he going to die like this? W_ _ould_ _he blow up? W_ _ould_ _his remains be splattered all over this place without being recognized?_

 _The man, Lucius, knelt down and placed his hands on the pentagram. They soon started reciting the verse from last time and the rest of the cult started their silent prayers. The pentagram started glowing with a crimson light, the light becoming brighter the more the verse is recited. Blake_ _felt_ _some sort of energy entering his body and running through his veins. He could feel his body going through a strange sensation that was difficult to explain._

 _But it felt wrong._

 _His mind felt like it was slipping away and soon, my vision became black. This was it_ _. He_ _was going to die._

 _Or so he thought._


	17. Dark Tales (Part II)

_Blake's eyes lazily opened, but stopped halfway. He felt like he was in a trance, unaware of everything around him._

 _"Where... am I? What's... going on?"_

 _All he saw was a never ending field of darkness. Here he was, floating in the void of nothingness. His mind was still hazy, as if he was a soulless body._

 _"Am I... dead?"_

 ** _ **No, child. You are not dead.**_**

 _"Then what happened to me? Where am I?"_

 ** _ **We are in your psyche, a place deep within your mind.**_**

 _"Who are you?"_

 ** _ **My name does not matter, child. What matters is that you are the vessel that I must take. Let my soul live on in your body.**_**

 _Blake's mind snapped out of its daze like state. Everything was suddenly rushing through his brain, everything that had happened up until now. The cult, the ceremony, the little girl who blew up..._

 _"I'm being sacrificed."_

 ** _ **Yes, that is correct, child. You have the honor of becoming my vessel. You have been blessed by the mighty Arioch, Demon of Vengeance, to become the bearer of my soul.**_**

 _"B-But I don't want you in my body! I don't want any of this! Just get me out of here!"_

 ** _ **Why... Why will you not accept me as part of you?**_**

 _"I saw what you demons did to that little girl. Do you really think I'm up for that?!"_

 ** _ **That is because she was still far too young, too frail to handle the power that blessed her.**_**

 _"It was a curse! She didn't deserve to die like that! Just leave me alone dammit!"_

 ** _ **Really? You wish to not accept my soul, especially after what they did to your beloved mother?**_**

 _"W-What?! My mom... no, they couldn't have... There's no way... right?"_

 ** _ **That is correct, child. Your mother was used as a sacrifice long before you woke up from your slumber.**_**

 _"Don't tell me..."_

 ** _ **Yes, she ended up just like that little girl... her remains splattered all over the pentagram. You did not even recognize her, did you?**_**

 _"Mom... no... Those bastards... they used her as a sacrifice while I was knocked out."_

 _They used her, only for her to end up getting killed. She didn't deserve to die like that! She was innocent!_

 _Blake felt something stir within his core and soon the darkness that surrounded him morphed into a void mixed with red and black. His transparent figure shook as that one emotion boiled his blood._

 _Rage._

 ** _ **I can help you eliminate them. Do you not want to avenger your poor mother?**_**

 _"I do."_

 ** _ **Do you want to kill the people who did this to them?**_**

 _"I do."_

 ** _ **Will you do anything for vengeance of the one person who still cared for you?**_**

 _"I do."_

 ** _ **Are you willing to accept the power of the mighty Demon of Vengeance, Arioch?**_**

 _"... I do."_

 ** _ **Then say it out loud, child. Say that you accept me!**_**

 _"I accept you... Arioch!"_

 _From there, his mind went blank as he felt a strange yet satisfying power surge through his veins, making its way to his core. Blake and the Vengeance Demon were going to fuse together. He was going to become the demon's vessel. It didn't matter however, he was going to avenge his mother._

 _But he didn't know that he had been played like cards._

"Out of all one hundred twenty seven sacrifices done in my village, I was the lone survivor. I was able to bear the demon inside of me, but... I was used, only to bring about destruction to my own village. As soon as the Sacrificial Ceremony was over, I... I..."

Blake looked down once again, his eyebrows frowned in anger as he gritted my teeth. His bangs covered his eyes and his hands balled up into fists. He felt his anger boiling his blood, but he knew he had to keep it under control.

"Blake...?" Soul asked softly. "What happened?"

"I lost control. I lost all sense of humanity and went on a killing spree. I used this demon's power to destroy the cult who I thought killed my mom, but it didn't stop there..."

The blond knight took in a deep breath, preparing himself to admit the upcoming climax of his dark past. He hadn't talked about it for five years, but now he had no choice but to just say it. He couldn't even look at his own comrades in the eye anymore.

"The demon inside me had complete control of my body. It was as if I wasn't there anymore. After burning down the chapel and killing all of those cult members, I went out of control and started killing everything in my sight. I was like a dangerous weapon of mass destruction that couldn't be stopped. And then..."

 _Blake walked through the burning field that was once the place of his own village. Brilliant crimson and gold burned brightly, the ashes rising toward the dark skies of the night. Screams of terror surrounding him, only to be silenced by falling houses or they were died down once they were consumed by the flames he created. These damned souls faced there unlikely demise, all because of him. It was as if he was in hell._

 _As the blond boy made his way out of the village, he could hear a faint voice calling out his name. He stayed put, waiting for the person to show themselves. They had no idea that he wasn't in control anymore._

 _That demon was._

 _"Blake...?" the feminine voice asked weakly. "Is... that you...?"_

 _He still didn't turn around. The woman behind him fell onto the partially scorched dirt, coughing violently. How could she have survived that fire? Whatever._

 _Because no one could live after all of this._

"I didn't know it at the time, but my mom was able to escape the slaughter fest. She was in bad shape too. She was covered in wounds and had inhaled too much ash from the fire. When she saw me, she looked so relieved. But she didn't know of the demon that had me under control..."

Blake's eyebrows furrowed together as his fists shook with anxiety. It always broke his heart whenever he recalled this part of that damned day. It always made him feel so guilty, it was unbearable. But he knew he deserved it, all of it.

Because the sin he committed that day was unforgivable.

"In my eyes, she was just another mortal that needed to be eliminated. So I... I-I... I..."

"What happened Blake?" Axel asked, dread clear in his voice.

 _"Blake, I'm so glad you're—"_

 _"You dare speak to me? A filthy mortal dares talk to a powerful deity such as I?" the possessed Blake sneered, his glowing crimson eyes glaring at the brunette woman._

 _Her smile dropped into a frown as her eyes showed hurt. She clutched her wounded arm a little tighter. Her blue eyes went from hurt to anger. Fury seemed to completely consume her as she glared at her possessed son._

 _"Who... are you and... what have_ _you done... to my son?!" she tried to scream, but her throat was dry from all the ash._

 _The possessed Blake smirked, his now sharp canines flashed as his pupils shrank into thinner slits. Despite her trying to be brave, the poor woman was terrified._

 _"I am Arioch, Demon of Vengeance, and your son is no longer here. I have complete control of him since he is now my vessel for my soul. He will not be returning until he regains his consciousness, which will not happen for a while. I made sure of that."_

 _He walked closer to the brunette woman, his right hand suddenly growing black scales and his fingers became longer with sharp claws. She dropped her brave facade as the possessed boy came closer to her with that peculiar sharp smile and demonic eyes. The sharp claws glinted as the moonlight shined upon them._

 _"Now," he peered at her, his lust for bloodshed becoming stronger. "Time for you to die!"_

"I killed her..." Blake mumbled.

It became silent after that, the atmosphere becoming dark and twisted. His nails dug into his palm, enough to draw some of his blood. The blond knight heard someone release a shaky breath as he continued to stare guiltily at his lap. The familiar guilt and pain stabbed him right through his heart. Tears brimmed his eyes as he recalled his mother's look on her face right before her own son killed her.

"W-What did you..." Aaron asked, reacting incredulously of what he heard.

That's when Blake snapped.

"I killed her dammit!" he shouted, bringing his head up to look at him. The tears already streamed down his face. "I killed her, with my own hands! I wasn't able to stop the stupid demon! I was lied to! I was played! I was used as a damn puppet and for what?! To become some stupid demon's vessel?!"

"Blake—"

"No!" He shouted, bringing his head down to his hands. "It was because of them, the Devilry Brothers. If only they and their damn cult never came to Kanto, let alone my village. I wouldn't have this beast inside me, and my mother would still be alive. But no, fate was too cruel to us all. I now have that haunted memory following me for the rest of my life."

After that, Blake cried. He cried for those who were killed under his account. He cried for those who were sacrificed by the cult and the Devilry Brothers. He cried for his mother because out of everything that he'd done, killing her made him guilty for even living. He didn't deserve to continue walking on this planet. He didn't deserve to be where he was now.

Blake had always put on that goofy smile everyday so no one could see how much he was beating himself up on the inside. His goofiness was only a facade he put up so he could trick himself into forgetting what had happened that day. It was a lie, a lie that had dark tales hidden away. A lie that was being punished by engraving that memory harshly into his head.

The blond knight was too busy crying that he didn't notice that he was in someone's arms. They held him close to them in a comforting manner, which allowed him to hear their heartbeat. However, he was also able to feel the tiniest quaking their body emitted. Blake removed his hands from his eyes and saw that Akira had him in this comforting embrace. He also noticed the tears that started to brim in her eyes.

"Blake... I'm so sorry. I had no idea..." she whispered, hugging him tighter.

"None of you did," Blake spoke lowly. "Which was probably for the better to be honest."

Immediately, he was removed from the comforting embrace. Somehow, he felt cold without it. The blond knight was surprised to see Akira glaring at him, tears still brimming her big brown eyes.

"It wouldn't have been for the better, you idiot!" she scolded. "You can't keep something like that bottled up at all, let alone for five years!"

"She's right, Blake," Mark inputted, narrowing his eyes at him. "Things like that need to be let out, or else you'll blow up and go insane."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Soul asked, giving Blake a sad look. "We could've help you. We would've been there for you."

"No, you wouldn't have," He countered, causing the blonde woman to look at him curiously. "You would've left me behind. There's no room for a monster like me in this squadron anyway. They all leave..."

Soul scoffed and stood up from the log seat. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Blake with a serious look. He rose an eyebrow at her, silently hoping that she'd put him out of his misery. However, what she said next was something he never expected to hear.

"Why would I leave you behind? I left on this mission with six people and six Pokémon, and I have all of the intentions of finishing this mission with six people and six Pokémon." She smirked.

"You're part of the team, Blake," Aaron added with a grin. "You're our comrade and our friend."

"I've known you for quite a while Blake. What makes you think that this past of yours will affect the friendship you have formed with all of us?" Mark commented, showing the blond knight that rare smile of his.

"You may be an idiot, but you're no monster." Axel smiled genuinely. "You're Blake Chadwick, First Class Knight of Indigo Palace Knights."

Blake's eyes widened as he looked around at his comrades. They were all smiling at him, smiles that he knew were their most genuine ones. He didn't understand, why? Why were they all smiling at him like that?

Why would they smile at a monster like him?

As he looked at his teammates in disbelief, Blake felt a pair of hands grab his face. His incredulous blue eyes were forced to look at a pair of warm brown eyes. Akira smiled at him as she wiped away a tear that had fallen from his eye using her thumb.

"We won't leave you. It's a promise," she vowed, giving him a closed eyed smile.

Blake's disbelieving look soon melted into one of realization. He told them what he really was, and yet they didn't run away nor call him a monster. To them, he was still a knight, a human being. They still accepted him, despite what he's done when he was thirteen years old. They still saw him as a knight.

His mouth twitched upward and soon he gave them a closed eyed smile, despite him wanting to cry from joy. A few chuckled warmly at him, which made him also laugh a little bit. Blake reopened his eyes as Akira removed her hands from his face and stood up.

"Thanks, really." Blake flashed them his signature smile.

"Of course." Soul nodded, chuckling a bit too. "Maybe it's time we get some sleep. Nebesa Town isn't as close as the others, so this trip will take a while and we need all the rest we can get."

Everyone nodded in agreement and prepared to turn in for the night. Axel and Akira volunteered to put out the fire while the rest of the squadron picked a spot to sleep. Blake walked over to his deeply sleeping Arcanine and laid down on the spot in front of him. He placed his head on his Pokémon's comfortable scruff and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to consume him.

His dark past had finally surfaced, and in the end of the day, he still kept his teamma— no, his friends.


	18. You and I Are Alike

It's now day two of the squadron's journey to Nebesa Town and they were going at the fast pace Akira had predicted they'd take from the beginning. She knew Soul wanted to get there as quick as possible since time was slowly becoming an issue. Even if this mission was meant to prevent another pointless battle, time waited for no one. Today, they woke up bright and early and like usual, skipped breakfast and immediately hit the road. Their pace was quick, but they still managed to keep up with Soul.

They've all grown use to walking a lot, the only thing that would affect their trips was the weather. Luckily, today was nice and sunny with no signs of it changing. It's times like these where the knights wouldn't mind taking a nice nap under the shady tree, but knowing Soul, she'd flat out refuse.

Before they could get any further, everyone came to an abrupt halt. A look of surprise crossed Akira's eyes as she saw the reason why they stopped. There was a large river in the way and the rapid current was enough to let her know they couldn't just walk through it and move on. There weren't any bridges near by, which left the knights in a tough spot right away.

"Great, just what we needed..." Soul mumbled with distaste.

"What do we do now?" Blake asked.

The blonde woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly showing that she's trying to control her anger. She turned around and faced her squadron, dropping her hand to the side as she narrowed her eyes at all of them.

"I need you all to scatter and find a different path that isn't blocked by this damn river. If there are rocks we can use to cross over, fine. But find something!" she demanded, annoyance clear in her voice.

"Yes ma'am!" They all saluted.

"Once you find a path, send us a signal by smoke or flare. Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Good." She nodded. "Scatter!"

Immediately, the knights all left the post and started to look for a different path. That, or they all just wanted to get away from Soul before she snapped at one of them. Lunatone floated beside Akira as she started to look around for a way to get across the river.

* * *

"Ugh! This is getting annoying!" Akira exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Lunatone let out a noise of agreement as they continued to roam the thick green forest. She's been looking for a usable path for the knights to take for hours, but so far she came across nothing. From time to time, she would climb a tree to check for any signals from the others. So far, nothing had come up, making her think they had the same luck as she did. Akira could only imagine how pissed Soul was since her impatience was very slim.

The white haired woman brought her hand up to her forehead and wiped away the sweat that began to line up. Even though she wasn't in the sun, she had been walking non-stop in hopes of finding a path. Not only was she exhausted from all the walking, but she was also starving. An Ursaring had attacked her and her Lunatone at some point and she dropped a bag that obtained her meal for the day. She was going to starve, while that damn Pokémon enjoyed her two rice balls and Oran berries.

Akira was looking forward to consuming them as well.

A sigh escaped her lips as she hunched over in despair, her stomach letting out a loud growl of hunger as well. Her patience slimmed down to zero right then and there.

She's had it!

"This isn't fair!" Akira yelled angrily. "I didn't ask for that stupid Ursaring to attack me and then steal my food! What did I do to deserve this?!"

Her voice echoed through the thick forest as nearby flying Pokémon fled, probably startled by her sudden outburst. She frowned, but she couldn't help it. She was tired, starving, and her lunch for the day was taken away. Why was she having the worst luck today?

"Damn river, damn hunger, damn Ursaring..." Akira mumbled bitterly as she continued to look for a path.

* * *

"Berries!" Akira exclaimed happily.

While she was still complaining about her hunger, Akira spotted a bush filled with nicely rip Cherri Berries. They weren't her favorite, but at the moment, she didn't care. She was diving right for it. The white haired woman ran over to the bush and picked out as many as she could fit in her hand. She heard some rustling, but her hunger was the only thing on her mind at the moment.

Lunatone let out a concerned cry, making the white haired woman stop her picking. About a dozen of them were in her arms, which were enough to satisfy her hunger. Akira looked back at the Meteorite Pokémon with confusion before she placed a Cherri Berry in her mouth.

"What's up, Lunatone?" Akira asked.

However, the rustling behind her made it clear. Akira froze, feeling a presence behind her. A low and hostile growl made her jump and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Slowly, she turned around and came face to face with a very angry Absol. Normally she wasn't afraid of them, but this one was a whole different story.

Akira chuckled nervously and clutched the berries in her arms as she slowly backed away from it, only for the Absol to take steps toward her.

"Hehe... Nice Absol... please go away..." Akira mumbled helplessly.

She screamed as she ran away from the Absol, Lunatone keeping up behind her. The Absol was completely on her tail, so she knew losing it would be hard. Since Lunatone was a Psychic-type, there was no way in harming it with any attacks.

This was just her luck.

* * *

Akira didn't know how she did it, but she managed to separate herself from that angry Absol and still keep her Cherri Berries. Her stomach growled loudly, her eyes lusting with hunger as she looked at the berries in her hands. She was surprised she hadn't passed out from hunger. Well whatever, as long as she had food in her stomach, she'd be okay.

After wolfing down the dozen Cherri Berries, a sigh of ecstasy left her mouth. Hunger was her biggest weakness, so no food equaled no full potential. However, even if her hunger was taken care of, it didn't mean her exhaustion left as well. All the walking and running away from the damn Ursaring and rabid Absol put a huge strain on her legs. It was almost unbearable. Unfortunately, she couldn't let this stop her from doing her job.

The white haired woman climbed up a tree once again in search of a signal from the others, her face falling once she saw nothing but the clear blue sky. A groan left her mouth as she carefully climbed down the tree.

"Hey Akira!"

Akira jumped at the sudden shout, causing her to lose her grip on the tree branch and fall. She shut her eyes closed, waiting for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt a pair of strong arms engulf her, stopping her fall. The white haired woman slowly opened her eyes and saw those familiar blue eyes of his. Blake looked down at her with a small smile.

"You okay, Akira?" he asked.

A blush made its way onto her face once she realized the position she was in. Her, a woman, in the arms of a man.

"I-I'm fine!"

Hastily, Akira pushed the blond man away and got on her feet. She could still feel the blush burn onto her cheeks. What's wrong with her?

"Are you sure? You're a little red in the face," he commented, poking one of her cheeks for emphasis.

Before he could do it again, Akira slapped his hand away and lightly glared at him. She knew Blake was an idiot, but to be so dense to notice something like that?

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Thankfully, it work due to his look of remembrance that snapped his face. Blake's Arcanine came walking up to him with a not so pleased look on his face. Akira looked back at the blond knight, whose face now warped with confusion.

"I may or may have not have lost Arcanine..." he admitted, scratching the back of his neck while smiling sheepishly.

Really?

Akira couldn't help but face palm at his stupid statement. Ladies and gentlemen, this was Blake Chadwick, First Class Knight. One of the best knights Indigo Palace had ever seen.

"Eh, Akira?"

"Look behind you," she mumbled, still wondering how on earth someone could be this dense.

Blake turned around and met face to face with a very displeased Arcanine. The blond knight exclaimed happily and threw his arms around the Legendary Pokémon, making Akira want to bang her head against the wall from his stupidity.

"I finally found you, buddy!" he exclaimed happily, tears of joy running down his face. Arcanine sighed, probably giving up hope on his dense master.

Sometimes Akira wondered why she was even friends with this idiot.

Blake pulled away from the tall Pokémon and turned around to face the white haired woman. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a blunt look, which he chuckled at.

"Not my best moment, huh?" he asked.

"It's definitely on the top ten idiot montage of Blake Chadwick," Akira stated bluntly.

Blake laughed at the obvious insult that was thrown at him. His laughter eventually caused her lips to twitch upwards and soon they were both laughing. Even if he's an idiot, no one could deny that his laughter was contagious. Once their laughter died down, Akira looked at him with a slight frown.

"Please tell me you found a path we could take to get out of here!" she pleaded.

Her hopes shattered like glass the moment he shook his head. Her frown deepened, knowing that they were still on the search.

"I haven't found anything. I've checked for any signals from the others, but so far I haven't seen anything," he explained. "What about you? Any luck?"

"No." Akira shook her head. "Only wild Pokémon attacks."

"Wow, you have it worse than me," he joked, lightly chuckling. "How about I look for a path with you so I can protect you from any other wild Pokémon encounters?"

"Do I have a choice?" Akira asked rhetorically.

He walked over to her and slung an arm over her shoulder. The sudden contact made her stomach feel weird, but she didn't bother to push him away. Blake looked down at the white haired woman and gave her a closed eyed smile.

"Not really."

"Fine," she surrendered. "Let's walk and talk."

Blake and his Arcanine jogged but slowed into a walking pace once they caught up to her. The more they walked, the less thick the forest became. The sun had already sunk in a bit, meaning that it's the afternoon.

"Wow, we've been looking for a path all day and still no luck from any of us," Blake commented.

"Tell me about it," Akira added. "I can only imagine how pissed off Major might be."

"She's probably punching trees out of frustration as we speak," he joked.

A small chuckle left her mouth at the thought. Ever since yesterday, he's been acting different. It wasn't anything bad, far from it. Blake has been more cheerful, more smiley, and the atmosphere around him seemed more brighter than Akira could remember. She believed finally letting it all out yesterday made him truly free.

Thinking back, his past was more traumatizing and horrific than hers. Sure, she was one of the few people who escape and survived the mass slaughter of the Tenjin Massacre. Being alive was their only reward; everything else they had to deal with on their own. The nightmares of the mass slaughter, the blood curdling screams, the corpses that were piled up... That was the price they had to pay for escaping.

However, there was something that Akira didn't get a chance to ask him yesterday. Last time, when he turned, so did his Arcanine. She had been meaning to ask him, but she felt like that would be prying in too much. As curious as she was, Akira didn't think bombarding him with questions about that day would do any of them good. Maybe if she tried beating around the bush, she could still get a satisfying answer.

"Hey Blake, I've been meaning to ask you something," Akira began carefully. The blond knight looked at her.

"Sure," he answered. "What's up?"

"It's about Arcanine," she continued. "You both are very close, huh?"

"Yeah." He nodded and patted the Pokémon's orange fur. "We've been through thick and thin for five years."

"Five years?"

"Mhm." He hummed. "He's the only one who understood me at the time."

"What do you mean?" Akira asked. Blake stiffened slightly, letting her know it was a touchy subject. A pang of guilt hit her seeing his eyes narrow the tiniest bit.

"Sorry," Akira apologized. "You don't have to—"

"When my mom was killed, I was all alone," he began, cutting her off as he gave her his full attention. "I was the only one who survive that night, the night of destruction I caused. Even still, I had to go on and move forward. The guilt I had held me back, because I knew that it was all because of me."

"No one blames you for what happened, I promise you," she vowed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know your mom and everyone else who died that night know about what that cult did to you, and I'm sure they don't hold you accountable for it. It's not your fault, okay?"

Blake looked at Akira, quite taken aback at what she said. Akira hated seeing him so down, that's why she said what she said. She knew it's true, but he couldn't hold himself responsible for what happened that night. He was a puppet whose strings were being pulled by the puppet master within him. He was innocent, and she wanted him to remember that, because he's not the Blake she knew if he wasn't smiling. A smile replaced his frown, which made Akira grin a bit as well.

"You always know what to say," he commented with a smile. "Anyway, as I said before, I was the only one who survived that night. As I traveled around Kanto, I came across a particular area that seemed abandoned. There were no Pokemon, and the ones that were their hid immediately once they saw me. That's when I found out why. Arcanine, who was a Growlithe at the time, was there.

"Immediately, I knew something was wrong with him. His eyes weren't like any other Growlithe, his were bright red with slit pupils. That's when I knew he was just like me. He had the same monster inside of himself, just like me."

"How did you know it was a demon?" Akira asked.

"There were rumors that the cult had also tried sacrificing Pokémon to their gods, but they were all failures except for one. However, they weren't able to tame it, so they tranquilized it and just dumped it somewhere isolated. Not only that, but I also saw the seal on his stomach, so that's when I confirmed that the rumors were true."

Akira did use to wonder what that mark on Arcanine's stomach was, but she never got the chance to ask Blake about it. She had always assumed that it was a tattoo of some sort.

"I couldn't just leave him alone, so I tried to befriend him. He attacked me a lot, but I finally managed to calm him down. Arcanine collapsed from all the exhaustion, so I had to take him to the nearest hospital. After he got better, I was going to leave, but he ended up following me. From there, we became inseparable," he concluded, turning to smile at his beloved Arcanine.

The Legendary Pokémon barked happily and licked Blake's cheek affectionately. The blond knight yelped from the slobbery lick, but returned the affection by petting his soft, blazing orange fur. Akira had never seen such a strong bond between a person and their Pokémon. Their friendship was strong and she knew that there wouldn't be any chances of breaking that kind of bond.

"You guys have a strong bond, I'm kind of jealous," Akira admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"Aw don't worry, Akira!" he beamed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, tugging her close to him. "You're still my best friend! You know how I feel and you understand me. I couldn't ask for anyone better."

Hearing him say something like that made her heart flutter. Despite them being friends for four years, he's never said something so deep like that. But Akira felt like this friendship of theirs was only one sided. She now knew everything about him, yet he only knew half of her. He still didn't know about her past.

Blake had been so opened with her, she felt bad for leaving him out of where she came from. But talking about the Tenjin Massacre was painful. The clan that committed the massacre killed everyone who lived in that village— it was a nightmare just visualizing it. They were brutal and didn't care who you were. Friends, children, women, men... they were all killed regardless.

Akira believed that she was probably quiet for too long because she felt Blake lightly shove her in the shoulder. She snapped out of her train of thought and looked at the blond knight, who gave her a worried look.

"You okay?" he asked.

Maybe, she should tell him.

"You know," Akira started. "You've been so opened with me, I feel kind of bad. I know everything about you, yet you still don't know everything about me, and I want to change that."

"Huh?"

"I think it's time you learned about my past." The white haired woman smiled. Although, she was a little bit apprehensive about it on the inside.

"You have my full attention."

From there, Akira poured out her history to him. She told him about the village she came from, about how Hinata was born quite feeble, about how she clung to her like an Aipom, about how they were a happy family before the Yoshida Clan decided to commit a coup d'etat and claim Hestia Village as Yoshida territory. She told him about how many times she almost got killed during the massacre and how her father was the one who protected the family the whole time. They barely made it out alive, but like she had mentioned before, it was their only reward.

Living.

After that, the family was left with nothing. They were broke, homeless, and Hinata had fallen ill. They were desperate and willing to do anything for survival. Akira even mentioned how she had stooped so low as to steal and pickpocket nobles. When she told Blake this, he said that she didn't look like the kind of person who'd do something like that. His reaction was completely different when she told him about how she met Cato and how he hired her. Blake was pissed, but calmed down once he realized the bastard was dead.

Just talking about her past made Akira realize how much her and Blake had in common. They both had a family that cared for them, they both suffered from constant pain during the tragedy, both of their homes were destroyed, and both of their pasts affected them as they grew up. Both of them were a lot alike, but complete different.

Akira didn't know how long they've been walking, but it was for a long time. The sun had already sank completely down and based on the clear night sky, the squadron had yet to find a path. Her feet were aching and she was very tired. Apparently, Blake thought the same thing because he stopped walking and just sat down on the grass. As Akira was about to do the same, something caught her eye.

About a few feet from them was the river's view, but there were waves that crashed against something hard. Akira took a better look and almost cried tears of joy when she saw that there were large boulders in the river. There was enough for people to cross over!

"Look, over there!" Akira cried as she ran to the spot. She didn't wait for Blake to reply because she dashed for the path. A few minutes later, Blake, Arcanine, and Lunatone joined her as well.

"Sweet!" Blake exclaimed and turned back to his Arcanine. "Hey buddy, shoot up a Flamethrower attack to notify the others!"

* * *

After about an hour of waiting, the other knights finally arrived. They all looked so tired and frustrated, but Akira couldn't blame them though. Axel's hair was a mess, Mark was dirty, Aaron looked like he was trying to keep himself from bursting with rage, and Soul looked aggravated. All of the Pokémon looked tired and intimidated. Poor Pokémon.

"This better be good," Soul sternly spoke, anger easily detected in her tone.

"Y-Yeah, don't worry," Akira stammered. "We found a path."

A sigh of relief left her mouth once she saw the boulder path that crossed the river. Everyone else seemed to relax, happy to have found a different way around. Despite the sun going down, the currents were still going too fast to walk through. Luckily, these boulders were stable enough to walk right on them and get to the other side.

"Since Akira and Blake found it, I say they should go first," Mark suggested. Everyone else agreed, all except for one.

"Aw c'mon! I wanna go first!" Gallade whined, earning him a bonk to the head by both Lucario and Soul.

"C'mon Akira, I'll help you," Blake said as he placed a foot on the black rock. He held out a hand for her to take and she grabbed it, feeling a sudden warmth once they made contact.

They were both on one rock and there were at least four large rocks to go with a reasonably wide gap in between. Blake let her hand go and jumped over to the next rock. He stood at the edge of the rock and held out a hand toward her again.

"C'mon, I've got you!" he assured.

Hesitantly, Akira took a small run and jumped the gap. She was about to reach for Blake's hand, but at the last minute, he moved it out of the way and she missed. Do you want to know what happened next? Akira fell into the gap, the water splashing as soon as she plummeted. Akira heard his loud laughter as she quickly grabbed onto part of the boulder that was slightly jagged. Her face burned with anger as she saw the blond idiot slap his knee as he continued laughing.

"Hahaha, that was awesome!"

"Blake!" Akira screamed. "I'm going to kill you once I get out of here!


	19. Aether Day Ball

The trip took a while, but the squadron finally arrived to their destination: Nebesa Town. It was still noon by the time they arrived, so they had plenty of time to investigate the area before heading off. It was perfect timing; the sooner they scouted, the sooner they could move on. However, that didn't go as planned.

No, more like they were forced to stay a little longer than planned.

 ** _A Few Hours Earlier_**

"What? A holiday?" Soul questioned again, staring at the female representative, Amelia Ainsworth. She nodded her head, her auburn curls bouncing along with her as her dark brown eyes shined.

"That's right!" she beamed. "You've come just in time to celebrate Aether Day!"

"That's today?!" Akira exclaimed, surprise lacing her voice. The auburn haired woman chuckled.

"Have you been traveling for that long? Who could ever forget the day Nebesa Town was founded by our lord and savior himself?" Amelia asked, looking at Akira's shocked face with amusement.

"Miss Ainsworth," Axel spoke. "May I ask how you will be celebrating this year's Aether Day?"

Amelia's eyes brightened up even more as soon as the question left his mouth, which sort of made the blonde aura guardian dread the answer. They didn't come here to celebrate a holiday; they came here on a mission. Besides, they couldn't stay in one place for too long. They couldn't afford to waste too much time in one place unless it's necessary.

"We are going to have a ball this year, silly!" she squealed. Soul couldn't help but cringe a bit at the high frequency. "Everything has already been arranged. There is going to be a symphony, gourmet food imported from Kalos and Sinnoh, and a firework display at midnight. It is going to be perfect!"

"Sounds like a lot of fun," Mark commented with a smile. Amelia looked at the knights as her eyes perked up. Soul had the sinking feeling the woman was going to ask what she was opposed to.

"You should all stay!" she suggested enthusiastically.

A sigh escaped Soul's lips as she hung her head a bit. Her eyes widened slightly when she felt someone sling their arm around her shoulder, tugging her a bit closer to them. The blonde woman looked up and saw Blake giving Amelia a closed eyed smile.

"It's not our choice. Major here makes the decisions," he informed, tugging Soul closer to emphasize her title.

She made a mental note to punch him for putting her in an uncomfortable position! The blonde woman shoved Blake away and looked back at Amelia, who was most likely expecting a yes to her request. Soul gave her an apologetic smile, hoping to get out of here with at least one bit of information from her.

After all, that's the whole reason they came here in the first place.

"Apologies, Miss Ainsworth." She bowed in respect to the auburn haired woman. "But we came here for a mission. We will not be able to stay for a long time. We must move on as soon as possible. I do apologize for the inconvenience."

"Please?" she begged, looking at Soul with very effective Lillipup eyes.

Oh, the Lillipup eyes— Soul's biggest weakness. It was seldom knowledge that Soul would be willing to give in if someone used them on her, especially children. At this moment, she believed she could stand up and say no to Amelia, but had second thoughts the moment her sea green eyes met the representative's begging brown optics.

She tried to resist, but it was futile in the end.

"Fine!" Soul surrendered, throwing her hands up to her face. "Just stop with the eyes, please!"

"Yay!"

* * *

That was all her fault. If only she was able to resist the eyes, the squadron would've been out of here already and heading onto their next destination. But no, they're stuck here and forced to go to a ball that she wasn't even in the mood for going.

This was such a nuisance!

Soul stared at the box containing the dress Amelia gave her moments ago. The last time she wore a dress was before she was given a proper uniform to wear and that was quite a while ago. She was so use to wearing slacks that she got use to the feeling of her legs being completely covered. Now, she wasn't sure if she wanted to wear the dress after so long. But knowing Amelia, Soul would still be forced to wear it either way.

She shouldn't be complaining though; she brought this upon herself after all.

The blonde woman removed the ribbon that secured the box and removed the cover. A gasp escaped her lips as she lifted up the dress. It's a strapless ivory dress with a light hue of silver. There's simple detailing at the torso and the ends. The dress was long, most likely stopping at her ankles or perhaps a little bit lower than that.

This dress may have seemed too plain in the eyes of some snobby noble woman, but Soul thought it looked beautiful. After all, her mother did say simple could sometimes be beautiful. A reminiscing smile graced Soul's lips as she placed the dress down on the bed. She also noticed the box also contained long white gloves, earrings that had a sapphire gem hanging from it, and a white ribbon. So this was going to be her outfit for tonight? Perhaps this night wouldn't be too bad.

A knock on the door caught Soul's attention. She walked away from the bed and answered the door. Amelia stood there holding a small box in her hands. She looked very excited for some reason.

"Have you seen your dress?" she asked.

"Yes," Soul answered. "It's very beautiful. Thank you for giving it to me."

"No problem Miss Fraverden!" Amelia waved off and moved the box toward the blonde woman. "These should finish off the whole outfit altogether."

Soul nodded her head and took the box from her. Before she could do anything, Amelia began to walk away from my room.

"I hope you can walk in heels!" She winked before speeding her walking pace.

Heels?

Heels?!

Soul couldn't be more grateful for the Queen's etiquette lessons.

A tiny groan of annoyance escaped her lips as she walked over to the bed and placed the box down. She decided to look at them after she's had her bath, mostly because she was afraid of seeing how tall the heels might be. The blonde woman grabbed the towel from the small velvet sofa and went to the bathroom where she had prepared the bath beforehand. She hung the towel on the rack and slowly placed her hand into the water, testing if it had cooled down.

Yep, nice and warm. Just how she liked it!

* * *

"Uh... Did Amelia send you?" Soul asked the brunette maid in her room as she continued to dry her hair with the towel.

"Yes ma'am," she answered. "Lady Amelia thought you might need help doing your hair and makeup."

Soul placed the towel over her shoulders and fixed the lavender robe that hugged her body. It felt a little strange. Maybe it was a little too big on her, or maybe she wasn't use to wearing silk robes.

"I suppose that's fine," she approved.

"Shall we get started then?" the maid asked.

"Of course."

The blonde woman sat down on a chair that faced the front of a mirror, which was flipped the other way so Soul couldn't see it, and allowed the maid to do her work. First thing she did was pull Soul's blonde hair back with a head band and started with her makeup while her hair dried a little bit. She said that damp hair was easier to work with to do the hairstyle she claimed best suited the aura guardian. All she did for makeup was apply mascara for her eyelashes, simple eyeshadow, dusted a little bit of blush on her cheeks, and slid on a coat of light pink lipstick on her lips, followed up by a swipe of lip gloss. After she was done, the maid removed the headband from Soul's hair and started on the hairstyle for the night.

The maid separated her fringe and strands of hair that framed her face from the rest of her hair. The maid worked on her bangs and styled them before moving on to the rest of her hair. It took a while, but she put in the last pin to hold her hair up and she was done.

"I am finished," the maid informed.

Soul stood up from the chair she sat on and turned around to face her. The blonde woman bowed lightly, careful not to move so fast that it would mess up her hair.

"Thank you," she said.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot!"

The maid walked over to the bed and grabbed the ribbon from the box the dress, gloves, and accessories came in. Once she picked it up, she walked back over to Soul with a sheepish smile.

"I almost forgot to put this on." She chuckled as she held up the ivory ribbon. "Do you mind turning around for a little bit?"

"Not at all."

Soul did as she was told and turned around. The maid wrapped the ribbon around and tied it up at the bottom into a bow. She took a step back and sighed dreamily. The blonde woman turned around to face the maid, but it only made her gasp and smile.

"Miss Fraverden, you look amazing!" she beamed, her compliment making Soul blush just a bit. She never took compliments too well.

"T-Thank you," she stuttered. The maid nodded her head and gave her a closed eyed smile.

"I will take my leave now so you can get dressed. Miss Ainsworth said to meet her down at the lobby. The rest of your subordinates will meet you there as well," she informed.

"Okay, will do."

"By the way, I suggest looking at the mirror before you leave. You look absolutely stunning."

The maid bowed before leaving the room so Soul could get changed. She walked over to the bed and looked at the dress once more. That same reminiscing smile made its way onto her lips. She just loved the way it looked, plain but beautiful. The only question was how would it look on her?

Before she could forget, Soul picked up the little box with the shoes in them and opened it. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw that they were one inch heels. The shoes themselves were open toed with straps lined and small diamonds. She closed the box and put it back down on the bed.

"Time to get ready," Soul mumbled to herself as she picked up the dress again.

* * *

Axel, Mark, Blake and Aaron waited in the lobby of the Ainsworth mansion. They were all dressed and ready to go to the ball. Amelia had sent their Pokémon with her local knights to keep patrol on the guests who were coming and keep watch over the ball as well. Now all they were doing was waiting for Soul and Akira, who were surprisingly taking a long time to get ready.

The men appeared rather well dressed. Axel was dressed a wine red tailcoat with the buttons done, a white dress shirt under it, a black tie, slacks that matched his tailcoat with a belt, and black dress shoes. Mark wore a simple evergreen dress suit with gold shoulder pads that he made work, a black dress shirt under the evergreen blazer, and brown dress shoes. Blake wore a white tuxedo with a white puffy dress shirt under and brown dress shoes. Aaron was dressed in a navy blue tailcoat with a white button up shirt under, black slacks, white gloves, a black belt with a golden buckle, and black dress shoes.

They all looked pretty fancy for the event, far different from their usual attire. Not only were their clothes strange, but so were their hair. Mark's hair was pulled back into a small but tidy ponytail since his hair did grow back rather fast, Axel and Blake had their hair slicked back, and Aaron's hair was trimmed and styled. He no longer had his hat on, which made the other men of the squadron give him weird looks since he hardly took it off as it was. He wonder how Soul and Akira looked like.

Aaron's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud and exaggerated groan. His eyes landed on Blake, who was hunched over with his arms crossed over his chest. He, Axel, and Mark gave the blond knight a weird look.

"What's wrong with you?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow at Blake.

"They're taking forever!" Blake complained, now standing up straight with a dissatisfied look. "What the hell are they even doing?! Why do women take so damn long to get ready?!"

"Careful with your words, Blake," Mark advised coolly. "You wouldn't want another beating from Major if she heard you talking like that again, right?"

Blake's eyes widened as he recalled what happened to him the last time he made a comment like that in front of Soul. The entire squadron was there watching her beat the living hell out of him. He had accidentally blurted out that she or Akira should be the ones to make food since they seemed to be so much better at it. He learned to never make a sexist comment in front of Soul ever again.

"Whoops..." he mumbled, now looking completely alert.

"Be lucky she's not here yet," Aaron told him, to which Blake nodded in agreement with.

"I'm back!~"

The knights all turned around and saw Amelia walking down the large flight of stairs that were in the center of the lobby. Her heels clicked with every step she took, part of her lavender dress in her hand so she wouldn't step on it. Her auburn hair was up in a nice bun with some of her curly fringe out to frame her face. Once she made her way toward them, Blake jumped out in front of her, startling her.

"Please tell me they're almost ready!" he begged, which earned him a bonk to the head by Mark.

"No touching a lady without permission, especially the representative." he warned, crossing him arms over his chest as Blake rubbed the spot where he had been hit.

"Oh, don't you worry, Mr. Chadwick." Amelia waved off with a smile. "They are both ready and should be down here any minute."

The blond knight cheered happily. As much as the other men didn't want to admit it, they felt the same way, only they weren't dumb enough to make it obvious like Blake. Before anyone could say another word, Soul's familiar voice rang clearly through the air.

"We're here," she announced. The men all turned heads to the large flight of stairs to find both Akira and Soul standing at the top.

At that moment, Aaron felt his heart stop.

Soul looked absolutely beautiful. Her shiny blonde hair was done in an elegant bun, finished off with an ivory ribbon. Some of her fringe framed her face nicely and she wore the lightest amount of makeup. She's dressed in a long beautiful ivory gown that had a silver hue to it, white gloves that reached her elbows, and silver open toed heels with the straps lined with diamonds. Sapphire earrings adorned her earlobes and her most treasured necklace rested upon her chest.

The blue haired aura guardian felt his cheeks warm up the longer he stared at her. She looked so breathtaking, his heart began to speed up with each step she took closer toward them. Amelia squealed a bit, causing the knights to all cringe a bit.

"You two look so beautiful!" she swooned.

Akira shyly looked away while Soul blushed a bit. She never was one to take a compliment without blushing. It's something that made her who she was and something Aaron had always liked about her.

"T-Thank you..." she stuttered, causing him to smile a bit. She really did look it, no doubt about it.

"Wow..." Blake breath out.

His blue eyes remained fixed on Akira in awe. The white haired woman wore a light green ball gown with a darker green choker around her neck and black heels. A small diamond adorned the choker as well as her earrings. Her white hair was curled and each side was pulled back by a fancy broach. Akira blushed once she caught him staring at her.

"W-What are you doing?!" she exclaimed.

"You look... pretty," Blake blurted out, but clamped his hand over his mouth when he realized how strange that sounded. Akira's blush darkened and she looked away.

"T-Thanks..." she mumbled.

"Now then." Amelia clapped, catching everyone's attention. "Shall we get going?"

* * *

The heart of Nebesa Town swarmed with people wearing ball gowns and fancy suits. Caterers set up the food platters and beverages as the musicians prepared the music sheets and fine tuned their instruments. People chatted while some were sipping on the best wine Kanto had to offer. Aether Day was one of Nebesa Town's favorite holiday due to the events Amelia Ainsworth hosted each year. This ball would certainly top the festival they had last year.

Music began to play once the musicians were all set and ready to go. The caterers walked up to guests and offered them small portions of food while the kids ran around and played, only to be scolded at each time they bumped into people. It was all lively once the squadron and representative arrived to the ball.

The guards allowed them in, each knight greeting their Pokémon as they entered. From there, everyone scattered about in the area. Axel engaged into conversation with some of the guest. Mark was keeping an eye on Blake, who drooled over the delicacy of the fancy platter. Akira was asked to dance by a noble no older than her. She seemed to be having a fun time with him.

As Blake finished up eating a Kalonesian dumpling, his eyes fell upon Akira and the young noble. Jealousy kicked in as he narrowed his eyes at them. Seeing him like this caught Mark's attention. He walked over to the jealous blond knight, who was silently shooting daggers at the young noble.

"Jealous that Akira is talking with that boy?" he teased. Blake stopped his glaring at looked at Mark.

"N-No!" he denied, a blush creeping up on his cheeks. Blake crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "W-Why would I be jealous?!"

"Because Akira, your best friend, is talking to another lad that isn't you," he stated the obvious.

Blake sighed and let his arms drop to the side, knowing that Mark was right. He was jealous that Akira was talking to another guy, but it was because he was paranoid that he's going to hurt her. Right?

"That bastard is probably going to do something indecent to my best friend. Is it so wrong to be worried?" Blake asked defensively.

"No," Mark answered. "But it is wrong to keep saying she's your best friend when we all know you have feelings for Akira."

The blond's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Mark incredulously. His heartbeat quickened a bit and a crimson blush burned his cheeks.

"Huh?!" he exclaimed. "I-I... I..."

The dark haired man smiled and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Don't let her fall for someone else," he advised. "You will regret not telling her how you feel later on. Go tell her before it's too late."

Meanwhile, Soul stood by herself as people around her socialized. She looked at the glass of wine in her hand as she swished it around a bit. Out of everyone here, she was the one who didn't want to be here. It was suppose to be a quick stop, but Aether Day got in the way... as well as Amelia's Lillipup eyes. Sadly, things seemed to never go her way.

The normally peppy orchestra changed their music from a happy cheerful one, to a slow song. An annoyed groan escaped the blonde woman's lips as she watched people partner up with their significant other and dance the night away. A caterer with empty glasses on a platter passed her, so she quickly placed her glass on it. Soul crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, hoping that time would pass by. Unfortunately for her, there was no chance of that happening.

A tap on the shoulder made Soul open her eyes. Aaron stood next to her with a smile, which made her lightly blush upon eye contact. She shook it off and kept her gaze on the navy haired man in front of her.

"Yes?" she asked. Aaron outstretched a hand toward her in a curtsy manner.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, making her blush once more.

Soul nodded her head and placed one of her hands on top of Aaron's opened one. He pulled her into the dance floor, careful not to disturb the other people. Once he found a spot for him and Soul, he stood in front of her and placed a hand on her waist while she placed her hand on his shoulder. The two swayed as they danced to the music.

"You look lovely today, Soul," he complimented, causing Soul's blush to darken.

"T-Thanks," she stuttered. "Y-You look rather dashing as well."

He chuckled a bit at her uneasiness. Her body emitted an nervous aura, letting him know how strange she felt in her current position.

"Why so uneasy? It's me you're talking to, remember?" he joked.

 _I know, that's why I feel uneasy..._ she thought.

As the two aura guardians danced together, Blake finally got the courage to ask his best friend to dance. He marched right up to the two and blurted it out.

"M-May I have this dance?!" he asked, holding out a hand for Akira to take as he blushed.

"Sorry lad, but Miss Minami here—"

"Of course!" Akira beamed and placed a hand on his.

The noble looked bewildered as the two walked to the dance floor together. Blake placed a hand on her waist while she placed one on his shoulder and the two began to danced. Blake felt as if his heart would explode because of how fast it was beating. He's dancing with the woman he realized he might be falling for. Who wouldn't be that nervous? Akira, however, enjoyed seeing him so flustered because now she could say he had it worse than her.

All in all, the squadron were enjoying themselves at the Aether Day Ball. Axel was talking with a noble lady while Mark managed to dance with a woman who approached him. She looked a bit suspicious, what with her wearing a red hood. Taking that into precaution, he agreed to do so anyway, maybe even get a few answers from her. It was a wonderful night indeed.

"I see you're wearing your mother's necklace," Aaron spoke, catching Soul's attention. "It looks beautiful."

"My mother would've been so happy to hear that from you." She chuckled, though she couldn't help but feel a little bit sad. "This necklace meant the world to her, especially since Father was the one who made it for her."

Aaron noticed the forlorn look in her eyes, most likely reflecting upon her mother's death. Back then, she found out the real story of her disappearance and the person responsible for it. He remembered clearly the rage she held upon coming face to face with that devil in human form. She had done everything in her power to stop him, but in the end, he disappeared as well. Ever since then, the blonde woman had done nothing but blame herself for letting a criminal like him get away.

It made his heart ache seeing her like that, but it was worse when she broke down in front of him after getting scolded by General Hayes for disobeying orders concerning the criminal. He held her in his arms and comforted her until she felt better. Aaron always knew that she was a tough woman, but even she needed a shoulder to cry on. He was more than happy to lend it to her whenever she needed it.

"D-Do you think General Hayes would be mad that we're doing this?" Soul asked as she was spun around by Aaron.

"Not one bit." He smiled at her once they were face to face. "Who said it was against the rules to have fun?"

"He did, dummy," she retorted, playfully glaring at the navy haired man. "We're suppose to be working, not partying!"

"Don't worry," he assured her. "Amelia said she'd give us the files she has regarding this case."

Soul seemed doubtful as she looked away, her sea green eyes filled with worry. A sigh left Aaron's mouth, hoping he didn't have to do it. He slowed down their pace and removed his hand from her waist. He pulled her chin to make the blonde woman look at him. Soul's breath hitched as her green eyes made contact with his dark blue optics.

"Just look at me, and relax. Everything will be fine, I promise," he said, calming her down.

Except it backfired seeing as it now made his heart speed up. He gazed into her sea green eyes, the same eyes he's seen for so long. The longer he stared at them, the more he felt strange. It's funny, whenever he's around her, he was usually so casual and carefree. But tonight, he felt anxious and his heart wouldn't stop racing.

Soul's calmness soon became anxious as she felt Aaron's aura change. She stared into his dark blue eyes, the same pair of eyes that she felt herself getting lost in recently. Her heart raced and her adrenaline rushed. Every man she's come across with were nothing but arrogant, sexist bastards. But Aaron was different from them, very different.

Soon, the two found themselves leaning in. They both swore to not let their feelings get in the way of their knightly duties, but tonight, it didn't matter anymore. Their lips were inches apart, their eyes fluttering closed the closer they got. As their lips were about to touch, a loud explosion nearby made them pull apart and turn their heads to the direction it came from. Loud gasps and surprised yells were heard as the smoke slowly cleared up.

Silhouettes of three men were seen, and when the smoke cleared up, their appearances were revealed. Blake's eyes widened with anger as he spotted the familiar faces he hated since the day he had a demon locked inside himself. The Devilry Brothers smirked, causing his anger to grow more. Akira gave him a worried look as she looked from him to the intruders. There was a taller man standing in front of them, wearing only trousers with a belt and plain shoes.

Knights immediately surrounded them, pointing their sharp weapons at them. The three seemed unfazed with the sharp objects being pointed at them.

"Who are you?!" one of the knights questioned.

Mark and Axel made their way closer to the intruders since they were farthest away. They weren't able to see who they were. However, as soon as he met the eyes of the intruder, his eyes widened with disbelief and anger. The shirtless intruder smirked at Mark, his pupils shrinking into slits.

"Long time no see, Mark Desai."


	20. Confrontation

Mark stared wide eyed at the enemy from the past. He looked different from what he last remembered, with his dark blue hair done in spikes, tattoos covering under each eye and shoulder, and his body looked more built than last time. What stood out and made him completely different the most were the scales that patched his forearms and lower abdomen. His hands were practically covered in those scales as well, but his eyes were also different. They were no longer brown, but a piercing gold instead.

That was him— the scumbag who took the only person important in Mark's life. He's the guy who took Layla from him and left him all alone. Mark's eyes flared with anger as he watched the enemy's evil smirk widen, revealing his sharp canine teeth.

"Long time no see, Mark Desai," he greeted.

"I'd say it's nice to see you again, but I'd be lying," Mark retorted, his hands balling up into fists. His eyes flickered behind him to the familiar pair of clones from last time, the Devilry Brothers.

"I see you have new lackeys with you," Mark stated, his anger seething through his teeth.

"Lackeys?" Lucifer questioned, tilting his head to the side.

"That's not right," Lucius inputted. "We're all friends, that's all."

Mark rolled his eyes at the peculiar twin brothers, his patience becoming rather thin. He heard Blake and the others making their way to the front where he and Axel were. Once they reached the front, Blake went to lunge at the Devilry Brothers, only to be held back by Soul and Axel.

"Who are you?" Soul questioned the spiky haired man in front of them.

"The name's Fabian Starke. Remember it, babe." He winked, which caused Soul to glower at him in disgust.

"What are you people doing here?!" Akira exclaimed, glaring at the intruders. Fabian chuckled humorlessly as he crossed his arms over his bare chest, his smirk still wide and evil looking.

"Oh, Layla dear! Come out come out wherever you are!~"

This certainly caught Mark's attention. His eyes widened in surprise at the mention of _her_ name. She couldn't be her, no way.

The dark haired man heard a light gasp from a few feet behind him. All heads turned toward the location of the voice, including Mark's. It came from that woman with the red hood, the only thing visible were her nose and lips. No way, that woman with the red hood couldn't be Layla. There's no way!

But, it made sense in a way. When his hand was in hers, he felt a familiar spark between them. When they danced, they swayed in a familiar rhythm that they would always do when they danced under the starry sky. Everything about the red hooded woman reminded him of Layla! What the hell was going on?

Before any of the knights could react, the mysterious woman ran away from the scene and into the forest. Mark's jaw slacked in shock as he watched her disappear into the woods. An obnoxious chuckle rang through his ears, causing him to growl under his breath. Mark turned back around and saw Fabian and his lackeys watching the red hooded woman go into the forest with amusement.

"That troublesome woman never learns when to quit." His smirked dropped into a scowl. "This is the third time she's tried to escape from me."

"Will you punish her this time?" Lucius asked, a dark smirk crossing his features.

"Oh, hell yeah."

In the blink of an eye, the three dashed into the woods where the red hooded woman had disappeared to. Without waiting for Soul's orders, Mark snatched a knight's sword and ran into the woods myself.

"Mark!" he heard Soul yell from the distance.

He didn't care at the moment. He was willing to take whatever punishment she had for him later. Right now, all that was important to him was finding that woman. He needed to find out himself.

Was that really his fiancé?

"Major, we have to go after them!" Blake told her, his eyes beginning to flare with impatience.

"I know dammit!" she cursed, then turned to the other knights behind us.

"Evacuate everyone from here right now. I could tell that these people are going to cause a lot of trouble," she ordered him.

"Yes ma'am!" He saluted before he and the rest of the local knights began to escort the people out.

Before the squadron could do anything, the captain of the knights walked over to them. Gallade and Lucario were standing on either side of him, their hands holding their master's weapons.

"I thought you might need them," he claimed.

"Thank you." Axel nodded as he received his sword from Lucario.

Their Pokémon also came running toward them, waiting for orders from Soul. Once everyone got their weapons, the blonde woman stood in front of all of them, appearing more serious than ever.

"Listen to me, we're going to go after Mark first. As soon as we find him, we're going after the Devilry Brothers and Fabian Starke and finish them off. Is that clear?!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Good." She nodded and turned to Mark's Mightyena. "Mightyena, I need you to track down Mark's scent. Do you think you can do that?"

The Bite Pokémon nodded and began to sniff the floor. After a while, he barked at them, signaling that he was able to pick up his scent.

"Lead the way," Soul ordered.

Mightyena nodded and took off, all of the knights following behind. Blake was surprised how well Soul was able to run with those heels. Akira threw them off a few minutes after they took off. The knights all followed Mightyena in hopes of finding Mark as soon as possible. Maybe they would also find the Devilry Brothers while they're at it.

Once they do, Blake would give them a taste of their own medicine. He was going to kill them with the power they cursed him with. His mother, his village... They'll be avenged.

He would force Arioch to cooperate no matter what. He would use that demonic power to kill the people who put that monster inside him!

* * *

Mark grunted as he sliced another thick plant out of his way and continued walking forward where he last saw those people go. This place had started getting foggy, so not only did it get in the way, but now he couldn't see a thing. The dark night sky didn't make it any better either.

"Dammit all..." he cursed as he slashed down another thick plant that blocked the path.

Now he completely lost them, both of them. Even if he had Mightyena with him right now, it wouldn't change the fact that they couldn't track them down with scent. Tonight was going so well. Why did this have to happen? And why him, of all people? Was this his punishment for his past sins?

If it was, then feeling repentance has already been done.

The dark haired man grunted as he slashed down yet another plant. Luckily, this plant was the last one he would have to cut down because once he did, he was welcomed with the sight of an opened area. There, in the center of the opening, stood a silhouette. Slowly, Mark walked out of the thick plants and walked toward the silhouette. He stopped a few feet away and that's when he was able to get a good look at the silhouette.

His teeth clenched together as his grip on the sword tightened. The moonlight streamed down the opening, allowing him to see that familiar red hood. It was that woman he danced with back at the ball, her back facing him and her hood was still up. His dark brown eyes narrowed, burning holes behind her head.

"If you dare to take off, I'll slice you in half," Mark threatened viciously. "Turn around."

The red hooded woman stiffened, but thankfully complied. She turned around, the only thing he could see was some of her black and white gown and a few locks of chestnut colored hair. Her face was still hidden, shadowed by that red hood that was covering the majority of her head.

"Take the hood off," he demanded.

The woman visibly gulped as she rose a hand to the back of her hood. She clutched the crimson fabric and immediately pulled it down, finally revealing her face. Mark's hard exterior broke as his face melted into one of disbelief. Those sapphire blue eyes, he recognized them. They were the same eyes that locked with his eyes that day, tying the red string of fate that brought them together.

"Layla...?" Mark mumbled as he stared at her incredulously.

Her eyes softened as tears began to line her eyes. She bit her lip and clutched part of her red hood. A tear ran down her face as she let out a small sob. A sad smile replaced her frown as she slowly nodded her head.

"It's me, my love," she spoke in that angelic voice Mark missed so much.

That did it for him.

He dropped the sword that was in his hand and ran toward the woman he lost six years ago. The brunette did the same and ran toward him. Words couldn't describe how Mark felt right now. He was happy, ecstatic, yet he still had a feeling that this was too good to be true. That feeling melted away once he felt her fall into his embrace.

Layla sobbed as she clutched onto his evergreen dress coat. Mark held her close to him, as if he'd lose her again if he let her go. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder as he stroked her long locks of chestnut colored hair. He was so happy, he didn't notice the tears that left his eyes. He was filled with joy because he finally had the woman he loved back after all this time.

The two stayed like that for a while, in the embrace of one another. Once Layla had calmed down, she placed her hands on Mark's shoulders and pulled away. That loving smile was still on her lips, causing him to smile.

"I've missed you, Mark," she said, another tear leaving her eye. Mark brought his hand up and wiped it away.

"I've missed you too, Layla."

He didn't know what had came over him because the next thing he knew, he leaned toward her. Layla blushed at the gesture, but leaned in as well. Just as their lips were about to meet, a rustle in the plants nearby halted them. Mark pulled Layla along as he ran over to his only weapon and grabbed it. He stood protectively in front of her and pointed his sword at the direction the rustling came from.

Mark could sense that familiar presence coming from that direction. He may not be an aura guardian, but he knew that presence anywhere. He gritted his teeth, glaring at the plants.

"Get out here, now!" he dictated.

"Funny, I don't remember you sounding so... scary."

Fabian walked out of the tall plants. Mark glared daggers at him as he pointed the sword at his direction, the blade shining dangerously by the moonlight. The enemy chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

"You've clearly changed, Mark. I expected some worthless thief meeting me the next time we crossed paths. But what do I find? A knight who's lounging around at a party rather than doing his job."

Mark's grip on the sword tightened, almost turning his knuckles white. He felt Layla intently watching him and Fabian. The spiky haired man smirked, revealing his sharp canines.

"And here I thought you'd make an effort to find your lover, but clearly you're doing so much better without her if you're partying—"

"Shut up," Mark growled. "Yes, I have changed since we last met, but never have I ever stopped searching for Layla!"

Fabian watched the ex-thief, his glowing golden eyes slowly narrowing as he dropped his hands to the side. His smirk dropped into a scowl, which Mark didn't hesitate to return.

"You know, Layla," he spoke, looking at the girl behind me. "You were right all along. He's too stubborn to give up looking for you. I should've known better."

"I never gave up hope, no matter how many times you've tried to get me to give up! I love him, and I knew that he'd find me one day!" Layla shouted from behind me.

"Oh?" Fabian questioned, raising an eyebrow at her. "Is that why you ran away three times already?"

Layla's breath hitch as she grabbed onto her fiancé's arm. Her sapphire blue optics glared at Fabian, while all he did was smirk at her.

"You know, the first two times you tried to escape me, I let you off with a warning. However..." Fabian growled, his pupils dilating into slits as his golden irises glowed brighter. "This time, you're not going to live to try and escape again."

"Lay one finger on her and you're dead!" Mark barked. "Although, you're a dead man walking either way."

"How about a rematch from last time, hm? Or how about we make this interesting, a fight to the death. How does that sound?" he asked, his thirst for bloodshed evident as he licked his lips.

A dark smirk made its way onto Mark's face as he walked forward. The moonlight streamed upon the opening, as if shining a spotlight on a battle waiting to happen. He stopped walking and brought the sword up, reflecting half of his face. A glint for blood shed shined in his grey eyes, but he ignored it. Right now, his focus was Fabian.

He waited so long for this, for the opportunity to take vengeance for the coward that took away the love of his life in order to hurt him. Now that he had her back, he was more than ready to kill this maniac.

"Perfect," Mark answered, to which he nodded in response.

Fabian got into a stance, a sudden strange atmosphere surrounding them. The slight breeze picked up into a strong wind. Leaves from the trees flew away. The air around them suddenly became peculiar and unnatural. Mark looked at Fabian and his eyes widened at what he witnessed.

His scale like patches were glowing a cyan blue and his canines became sharper of that of a Feraligatr. His eyes shrank into very thin slits and his fingernails became longer and sharp as claws. The enemy in front of him was no longer human.

He was a monster.

"Get ready, because one of us is going to die tonight!" he screamed before lunging at Mark.


	21. Pride’s Ambition

Even with Mightyena's and Houndoom's amazing sense of smell, the squadron was having trouble finding Mark. They weaved their way through these woods and have yet to find any of them, be it the red hooded woman, the Pokémon-human hybrid, Mark, or the Devilry Brothers. Not only that, but the deeper they go into these woods, the more the fog began to thicken up. They could only see about a few yards ahead, otherwise everything else seemed hazy. This was becoming very troublesome.

Blake felt something lightly tap his nose. Dumbfounded, he brought his hand up and wiped the tip of his nose. Next thing he knew, something tapped his cheek, his forehead and then his head. Suddenly, water began to shower upon them. Blake gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as the squadron continued running.

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Blake cursed, anger dripping his voice.

"Tell me about it," Akira commented as she swept her fringe to the side. "This is definitely the last thing we need right now."

"Quiet!" Soul barked as she looked over her shoulder at the two. "I'm already stressed as it is. Don't make it worse by complaining! Is that understood?!"

"Yes ma'am!" Akira and Blake shouted in unison.

Before they could get any further, a sudden explosion up ahead caused them to halt. Blake placed his arms over his eyes as debris came their way. Once things settled down, he removed his arms from his face and looked ahead. There was still smoke, but he was barely able to make out two silhouettes.

Two very familiar silhouettes.

Blake's hand gripped the hilt of his sword as he watched the smoke disappear and reveal them— the Devilry Brothers. It's definitely them; those dark red eyes and their signature mischievous smirks gave it away.

"Sorry," Lucifer started.

"But we can't let you pass," Lucius finished.

"Dammit, of all the times!" Soul shouted, glaring at them.

Blake's eyebrows furrowed in anger as he took a few steps toward them. Arcanine followed him as well, bearing his fangs menacingly at the Devilry Brothers. They both stood in front of the group, now facing them.

"Go," Blake told Soul. "Arcanine and I will hold him off."

"Are you sure?" she asked, earning a nod of response from the blond knight.

"Besides." He smirked arrogantly. "I got a bone to pick with them."

Soul hesitated, but eventually left along with the rest of the team. The two brothers looked at each other before sighing, dramatically shrugging.

"It couldn't be help," Lucifer commented.

"But." Lucius smirked. "We've managed to put distance between the squadron and Fabian."

Arcanine growled next to Blake, prepared to pounce at them as soon as his master gave him the signal. Blake unsheathed his sword from its scabbard and tossed that aside. Before he charged, he felt another presence stand next to him. A smirk played at his lips as he rested his sword's blade onto his shoulder by the blunt side.

"You're willing to help me, even though this is my fight?" Blake questioned Akira.

"As I've said before," she spoke, taking a few steps forward. "I'm not going to leave you. I'll stick by you, even during battle."

The white haired woman removed the sheath that covered her samurai sword and tossed the black fabric to the side. She pointed her shiny yet deadly blade at the Devilry Brothers, glaring harshly at them.

"Besides, they're going to pay for what they did to you. I'm not letting them get away with hurting you so cruelly!"

His eyes widened as the blood rushed to his cheeks. His heart became warmer and his stomach felt as if he had a swarm of Beautiflies fluttering about. She's willing to fight for him and make them feel the pain they deserved. She wanted to fight alongside him even though this fight had nothing to do with her.

Might she really care about him as much as he cared about her?

Pushing aside those feelings, Blake gave Akira his signature grin. She smiled in return before turning serious once again. That's Akira for you!

"Very well then." Lucius smirked devilishly.

"We at least have the privilege of seeing the power of one of our mighty gods," Lucifer beamed peculiarly.

Without saying another word, Blake charged at them, his sword positioned to the left. His blood began to boil from anger once again, but he had to keep it under control for now. He'd use that demon's power as a trump card, a very destructive trump card.

He was not going to lose this fight!

* * *

 _He's... incredibly strong!_

Mark's eyes narrowed sharply as he blocked his opponent's razor sharp claws with his sword. Sparks ignited as he swiped his claw away on the blade. A stinging sensation ran up Mark's leg as he fell on one knee. The dark haired man placed a hand onto his lower calve, his dark grey eyes widening when he felt the warm red liquid escaping from the freshly made wound. He couldn't even stand on both feet without it stinging so badly.

However, this wasn't the time to complain over a simple wound. He gave his word that this would be a fight to the death, winner lives while loser dies. Fabian smirked maniacally, revealing his now glowing fangs that emitted a light chilly looking mist.

Ice Fang.

Mark jumped to the side, quickly avoiding the attack. However, a scream left his mouth as he felt his calve wound open up more. He pitched one eye shut and looked down, seeing his now bloody lower leg. A cold sweat ran down his spine as raspy breaths left his mouth. The dark haired man gulped, then charged at Fabian as fast as he could.

The painful journey was worth it because once he reached the enemy, he was caught off guard. Taking this opportunity, Mark swung his sword at him. Fabian tried to dodge, but Mark was able to land a nasty slash across his chest. Fabian screamed in pain, falling to his knees and panting hard. Blood spewed from the huge gash, splattering him in the face.

Mark's eyes widened as he looked down at the tainted sword in his hands. He never thought that a simple swing would be capable of landing such a hit. Either way, it helped him weaken him. He may have the same strength and power of a Feraligatr, but everyone had a weakness. The dark haired man had a decent chance of winning this fight.

While the enemy remained on the ground, Mark brought his sword to the side and ran toward him again. Just as he reached Fabian, he prepared himself to swing the sword, aiming for his head. However, that plan backfired. Fabian looked up and smirked, throwing a blazing white fist at Mark. His dark grey eyes widened from shock as he felt a massive amount of strength hit him directly at his torso. In the blink of an eye, Mark was thrown back with such force that he had never experienced before.

A loud groan left his lips as his back collided with a tree, chips of bark flying about upon collision. Mark felt something beginning to rise from his stomach, up his throat, and now leaving his mouth. Roughly, his head jerked forward as he coughed violently. After his little coughing fit, Mark opened his eyes, only for them to enlarge as they landed on the warm crimson liquid that now stained his clothes and the grassy terrain. This fight dragged on for too long and he was already feeling unfit to continue fighting,

Shakily, Mark stood up on his feet, ignoring the pain that shot up from his calve and torso. He could already tell he's broken a few ribs, but it didn't matter. Fabian stood a few feet away from him, looking as though he didn't have a huge gash across his bare chest. His eyes glowed, causing the rain to pour harsher than before. Mark bit his lip, trying to figure out what to do next.

"I'm disappointed, Mark. I really am," Fabian dispirited falsely. "Even after revealing to you of my true power, you still fail to end me? You're just as weak as you were back then!"

Hearing his last statement hit close to home with Mark. Without thinking, the dark haired man charged at the hybrid with a loud battle cry. He swung his sword once again, only for the enemy to deflect it with his scaly hand. Suddenly, an enormous amount of pain went through Mark's head. Next thing he knew, the dark haired man was on the ground clutching his head, feeling the world around him spinning.

The familiar feeling of warm crimson liquid stained his fingertips, some of it now trailing down the side of his face. Fabian smirked and began to power up a Focus Punch attack. His peculiar smirk mocked the dark haired man before bringing it down his direction. Mark rolled to the side to avoid getting hit. With that much strength, he probably would've died right then and there.

There was a huge crater formed where he hit the ground. Blood trickled from his knuckles as he brought his hand up from the soil. Before Mark could react, he already swung at him with glowing claws. Mark quickly got to his feet and jumped back. This time, three deep moat-like holes were burrowed on the ground.

That's when it clicked in his head.

It was the rain that gave Fabian a boost in his power, not to mention that he's very injured, even if he doesn't show it. Just like a Pokémon, whenever they're weakened, their ability comes into play in order to give them a boost in power. In this case, since the weather conditions were in his favor, Fabian's attacks were more stronger that before. There had to be a way to weaken him without his Torrent ability activating right away. A delay in strength was all Mark needed to land a hit.

As Fabian prepared to pounce at him, Mark readied himself for the incoming attack. His plan might just work, but it may also leave him damaged beyond repair. If it'll help take down Fabian, he was willing to risk it.

"You're not going to dodge?!" He laughed insidiously. "Fine! You're dead meat!"

"No!" Layla screamed in distress.

He brought his feet back and used his arms to hoist himself up to jump high. From where Mark stood, he could see both of his inhuman hands glow as well as his sharp teeth. He was going for a double attack then?

Perfect.

Mark didn't deny that was scared, but this plan was all he had. He waited for Fabian to descend from the air, tossing his sword to the side. As ludicrous and suicidal that was, it needed to be done. The closer Fabian became, the more Mark anticipated the fall. He was now about six inches away from him.

Everything seemed to go slow as his flared grey eyes made contact with his glowing golden eyes before Mark jumped back as fast as he could. He saw a glimpse of Fabian's shocked face before he plummeted on the ground, causing a small tremor and a huge dust cloud. The pouring rain was reduced to a sprinkle, allowing the dark skies to lift the majority of grey clouds. The dust cloud also lifted, revealing a slumped Fabian in the center. He was still alive, but only hanging by a thread.

Mark went back to grab the sword, limping due to his painfully gashed calve. With the sword in his hand, the dark haired man limped over toward Fabian, who was shakily trying to get back to his feet. As he got to his knees, his breath hitched and he coughed up a scary amount of blood. Once he jumped down to the crater, Mark heard footsteps running behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Layla running toward him with tears in her eyes.

His gaze lowered to the ground as he looked back at Fabian with a blank look. The enemy was still struggling to stand up, but he managed to stand on both feet. His entire body was covered in bruises and scratches, his left hand mangled and deformed, blood trickled down from his head and the corners of his mouth, and finally that gash across his chest began to leak with large beads of blood. Mark was in no better condition, what with his broken ribs, bloody calve, dislocated shoulder and the injury on his head. Layla desperately calling out her fiancé's name, but Mark remained deaf to it as he walked closer to Fabian.

She called out Mark's name one more time, but he didn't bother stopping at all. She just wanted him to stop before he got himself killed, before she lost him for good this time. Even if Fabian didn't look strong at this moment, he still had a trick up his sleeve; he always did. It was his way to get people to fall for his trick before he mercilessly killed them. She didn't want Mark to end up like Fabian's past victims.

The two men were now face to face, panting heavily from exhaustion. The rain still continued to sprinkle as Layla felt a sudden chill go down her spine. The brunette woman's heart began to race as she balled up her hands into fists. It felt as if someone walked over her grave. Layla gulped and pushed away the terrible scenarios that could play out at this very moment.

Fabian's eyes widened as he placed his hand on his knees, violently coughing up more dark blood. Layla couldn't help but flinched at how much he hacked up. After overcoming his coughing fit, Fabian stood straight up, still struggling to even his breath. Mark just stood there, watching him with blank grey eyes. After having a little staring contest, Fabian chuckled humorlessly, Mark not being fazed by it. The spiky haired man closed his eyes, an emotionless smile plastered on his lips.

"I guess... you and I... we're both... strong," he wheezed. "I'm pleased to end."

"You're a worthy opponent," Mark admitted. "I'm glad that this will be..."

The dark haired man revealed his blood stained sword, an emotionless smile similar to Fabian's was now gracing his lips. Fabian's scaly right hand glowed, the rain now gradually disappearing.

"...our final battle."

Time seemed to go in slow motion as the scenario Layla hoped would never come true played right before her eyes. Her blue eyes widened in shock as tears immediately lined her eyes. She could hear her heartbeat beginning to slow gradually. A tear left her shocked eye, trailing down to her chin and landing on the ground. It felt like the world around her suddenly stopped.

Layla clutched her head as whimpers left her mouth. Her body shook and her legs felt weak. The brunette woman fell to her knees, trying to control her short uneven breaths. She looked up, hoping that what she saw was only a nightmare. But after seeing the scene before her...

A blood curdling scream left mouth, echoing throughout the forest.

* * *

"Dammit!" Blake cursed as he clutched his bleeding arm.

Lucius smirked as he stared at the fresh blood that tainted his dagger's blade. The blond knight sneered and grabbed his sword, once again charging at his enemy. Aiming for Lucius's head, Blake jumped halfway and used the momentum to swing his sword. He smirked, but at the last moment Lucius had dodged. Blake's smirk dropped as he landed on his feet.

He stood still, trying to keep his senses sharp and waited for Lucius to strike. Meanwhile, Lucifer watched in amusement as a worn out Akira charged at him with her samurai sword. He chuckled before side stepping and avoided the blade. The white haired woman was taken aback, but recovered in order to try and hit him again. Just like the first time, he avoided all attempts, leaving her frustrated.

"Can't you stay still for a bit?!" she shouted in annoyance.

"No can do!~" Lucifer smiled falsely, which earned him a punch.

His crimson eyes widened at how strong she was able to punch. He felt blood leave the corner of his mouth as he landed on the ground. Akira loomed over him with a glare and her samurai sword up over her head. In one swift movement, she brought it down with a loud cry. Lucifer wasted no time rolling over and avoiding the sharp blade by a hair's length. His eyes glared intently at the woman in front of him.

"You're pretty annoying, little girl," he sneered, unsheathing his dagger. "You need to go."

"As if I'm gonna listen to a devil like you!" she screamed. "It's all your fault Blake is like this, so I'm not gonna leave until I demolish you, ya' hear?!"

Akira's eyes widened as she watched him disappear in a blur. "What the...?" she thought, watching the spot where her opponent once stood. She took a few steps forward, making sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. A loud cry of pain rang through her ears, causing her to turn around immediately. There, her Lunatone laid on its side completely damaged.

"Lunatone!" she cried and ran to her Pokémon.

However, before taking one more step toward her partner, a sharp needle was shot at her. Sensing the incoming attack, Akira took a step to the side. The needle zoomed passed her, missing her by a few millimeters. A smirk made its way to her face, her brown eyes looking for the certain Devilry Brother.

"Is that all—"

Her taunting was put to a halt by a sudden presence looming right behind her. Next thing she knew, something plunged through her lower left abdomen. Her eyes widened from shock as an incredulous gasp left her mouth. Hesitantly, she slowly lowered her gaze down. There was a small silver blade that was stained with her blood. A cold sweat ran down her back as she saw a drop of her blood land onto the ground, followed by another, and another.

"You shouldn't have gotten cocky with me, little girl," Lucifer whispered in her ear.

The crimson eyed man harshly pulled the dagger out of her and shoved her down. A loud scream left Akira's mouth, a trickle of blood also leaving and staining her lip. She coughed and tried to cover her wound before any more blood could escape. Akira pinched one eye shut, pain evident all over her face.

Just as Blake was able to land a hit on Lucius, a scream caused him to immediately whirl around to that direction. His eyes widened when they landed on the white haired woman, who had just been stabbed. At the moment, he didn't care about his opponent, but rather if the woman he cared about was going to be alright. He abandoned his fight and ran over to Akira, praying to Arceus that she wouldn't have her life taken from her this very night. Once he reached her, the blond knight landed on his knees right next to her.

He carefully grabbed her and placed her head in his lap. Akira's face was beginning to pale and her blood was staining most of her dress. Slowly, she opened both eyes, her vision becoming slightly unfocused.

"B-Blake...?" she rasped in between small breaths.

"It's okay, I'm right here," Blake replied with panicky voice.

Quickly, Blake removed his blazer and placed it over Akira's stab wound. He grabbed her hand and pressed it on the covered wound. He was worried, worried that she might lose too much blood, which could end up endangering her life.

"Just keep pressing it to stop the bleeding," he instructed her sternly. Akira nodded, trying to control her labored breaths.

"I will..." She gulped. "Hey... I need to... tell you... something..."

"What?" he asked, his eyes now filled with worry. Akira took one more breath before flashing him a tiny but genuine smile.

"You're always there... when I... need... you," she spoke quietly. "Thank you..."

Blake gulped, his eyes now filled with fear as Akira's eyes began to slowly close. His eyes widened for a second, fearing that the worst had come true, but relaxed a little when he saw her chest rising and falling. The blond knight carefully picked her up bridal style and carried her over to a safe place. He gently laid her down, placing her against a tree. Blake turned around, eyes shadowed over by his blond fringe.

"Arcanine," he called his partner, who immediately ran to his side. "Take care of Akira."

Without question, his Arcanine barked in agreement and went to her side. The Legendary Pokémon sat next to Akira, placing his paw over the slightly bloody blazer that was over the stab wound to help stop the bleeding. Blake slowly walked over to the makeshift battlefield, his emotions running on overdrive. The Devilry Brothers looked at him with amusement, waiting to see what happens next.

"Aw Lucifer, why did you hurt the little girl?" Lucius asked with fake concern.

"Little girls shouldn't play on the battlefield. They'll only end up getting hurt," he answered bluntly.

Meanwhile, Blake closed his eyes, envisioning being in a certain place he dreaded to see on a normal basis. However, right now he must find him, he needed his power. He must have it. The person he cared about could have died right then and there, but she's still alive. However, that didn't change the fact that his biggest enemies tried to kill her.

The blond knight opened his eyes, immediately coming face to face with a pair of glowing crimson eyes. The demon in front of him smirked, revealing its pointed teeth.

"Well?" he questioned knowingly. "Have you come here to obtain some of my power?"

With flared eyes, Blake looked at him and held out his hand.

"Arioch, lend me your power!"

Blake escaped his psyche, now entering the true reality. He scowled menacingly as he reopened his eyes, revealing his blazing irises. The pupils were shrunk into the thinnest slits that were possible. The Devilry Brothers were taken aback upon making contact with such eyes that were filled with so much hatred.

"You're gonna pay for what you have done," he growled lowly. "I hope you enjoy dying by the power you have cursed me with!"


	22. To Tame the Demon

_Emotions never fazed a person like me._

 _My heart felt nothing when I witnessed someone die._

 _However, seeing him getting smashed into chunks of bloody pieces..._

 _Seeing my own brother being turned into chunky human soup..._

 _It broke my heart._

 _I cried for the first time on that day, and I also felt fear hit me for the first time._

 _It was all because of him._

 _All because of the monster that consumed him._

 _The boy whose life I ruined._

 _This was karma getting back at me._

 _I have no choice but to accept my fate._

 _Killed by the hands of the monster I created._

Hands were wrapped tightly around the neck of Lucifer, trying so hard to cut off any oxygen from going to his head. Fearful crimson eyes met demonic scarlet eyes that glinted with bloodshed. Lucifer took one more fearful glance at what was left of his brother's corpse. It was nothing but red flesh lying upon a pool of red blood, some splattering all over the place while other pieces were lumped together. Just seeing the brutally mutilated body made his tears stream down faster than before.

He still couldn't register the fact that the gory mess of the carcass was once his twin brother, Lucius.

It was too late to save him from the moment Blake accepted his demon's power. Emotions were what drove him to activate his last resort, emotions that could get out of control. He was blinded by rage and anger, which caused him to attack Lucifer with such brutality. The darkness began to surround them and that's where Lucius was mauled savagely. It was a slow death because that was the kind of pain Blake wanted him to feel before he died.

He had no idea how much of an impact Lucius's death had on Lucifer. He figured that he wouldn't care, but boy was he wrong. They were twins after all and all twins, no matter how different they may be, would always have a bond stronger than anyone on this planet. A strong bond that would only be severed by death, but also cause pain to the survivor's heart. Just like how Lucifer cried for the first time because of the death of his brother.

It didn't matter anyway because he would soon experience an equal amount of pain before he died. The monster he created would turn on him, but it was to be expected after all. He ruined Blake's chance of a normal life. It was his way of repenting for his sin.

Saliva began to escape Lucifer's mouth as Blake's grip around his neck became tighter. The crimson eyed man tried to claw his way out of the grip, kicking as well to try to escape, but it was to no avail. Blake's glowing eyes seemed to burn holes at Lucifer, hoping for the man to just die already. Then again, he wouldn't have the experience of pain like he wanted. After all, suffocation was the most painful way to go.

Meanwhile, Akira began to wake up. Her eyes furrowed before she slowly opened them. At first, her vision was blurry. She blinked a few times, trying to clear it. The first thing that greeted her was the bloody mess Blake left. Her eyes widened from shock and fear as her eyes stared at the corpse, if she could even call it that.

The white haired woman scrambled to her feet, but stopped when she felt a pain at her side. The now blood soaked blazer had stopped the bleeding, but she wrapped it around the wound just in case it opened up again. Arcanine quickly stood on all fours, watching as Akira slowly got to her feet. The Legendary Pokémon whimpered and nuzzled her hand, immediately catching her attention.

"What's wrong, Arcanine?" she asked.

Arcanine whimpered again before turning to the event that was taking place. Confused, Akira brought her gaze to what the Pokémon was looking at. Once she did, she almost wished she hadn't seen that. There, Akira watched as a blood covered Blake gripped the neck of the last Devilry Brother. That's when she noticed the terrified look on the enemy's face and the tears that were rapidly pouring out of his eyes.

Lucifer was brought up about a few inches off the ground by his neck, and the gurgling noise he emitted and the struggling he put up made it obvious that he was choking to death. Akira gulped, frozen in fear. She could feel the dangerous atmosphere that surrounded the air around them. The white haired woman tried to move, but it felt as if she was paralyzed. What brought her out of her trance was a loud and sickening crack.

Lucifer's wide and teary eyes became empty and hollow as his thrashing came to a halt. His hands that tried to claw at Blake's own hand limply fell to his side. In Blake's grip was now a ragged corpse. The demonic blond closed his eyes and threw Lucifer's corpse over his shoulder, just as if he threw away trash. The brunette landed onto the grass with a thud, never to be moving again.

Fear was beyond what Akira felt at that moment. She couldn't believe what she saw. The Blake in front of her was not the same Blake she knew for four years. The Blake in front of her was not the goofy idiot who loved to mess with her.

The Blake in front of her was not the Blake she found herself falling for.

The demonic blond moved his head a bit, allowing Akira to catch a glimpse of those haunting red eyes, the eyes that made her remember of what he became five years ago. Akira gritted her teeth and balled up her hands into fists. Her eyes ignited with sparks of determination, forgetting about the fear that tried to consumed her. She wasn't going to lose him to a monster that belonged in hell. She was going to get him back no matter what it took.

Akira began to make her way toward the possessed man, taking a huge risk to get near him. The possessed Blake felt her presence, but didn't bother to look at her. Despite the bloody mess he made out of his enemy, a new hunger for blood began to crave him. A sick and twisted smile formed on his face, revealing his pointed canines. Since Blake's subconscious was still asleep, the demon that possessed him would be able to satisfy his new lust for blood.

Akira stopped walking when she was at least a decent length away from Blake. The possessed blonde now turned around, immediately making eye contact with her brown eyes. She stared into his demonic scarlet eyes, not flinching at how evil they shined. On the inside, she began to get scared, but she kept cool on the outside.

"Give him back," Akira demanded. The smile on the blond's face dropped into a scowl.

"What makes me angry about you humans is how demanding you are," he commented, disregarding Akira's request. "I will not be ordered around by a weak human like you."

Akira glared at the monster before her, the fear in her being replaced by anger. Her fists tightened, turning her knuckles white.

"I said," she spoke with confidence. "Give him back!"

Blake glared at her, his pupils becoming smaller and smaller slits. His patience was beginning to lessen each time Akira opened her mouth.

"One more demand out of you and you shall face a brutal death, you disgusting human!" he threateningly shouted at her.

And due to that, Akira snapped.

"Shut your mouth, you damned beast! You don't belong in this world, let alone Blake's body! It's all because of you that he was suffering! Do you think I'm going to shut up because you say so?! I don't give a rat's ass if you kill me! Just give Blake back!"

Stunned, that was all the Vengeance Demon felt after Akira's little outburst. Never had he been talked back to like that, never in his four hundred years of life. Akira was breathing heavily as she tried to gain back the oxygen she lost after spatting out all of that. Arcanine walked over to her, prepared to protect her if the demon kept his word and tried to kill her. However, the demon was still in shock after being talked back to.

Taking this as an opportunity, Akira ran toward him and brought him into an embrace. She buried her face into his neck and hugged him close to her. Small pools of tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"Please Blake," she whispered. "Come back. Take control of your own body. Don't let this monster take control of you. I need you. Please, come back to me..."

 _Take control..._

 _Fight the monster..._

 _I need you..._

 _Come back to me..._

 _Please, come back to me..._

"What...?"

In a dark field of nothingness, stood the blond man. Blake's eyes perked up once he heard the echo of a familiar voice. He looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice, but all he could see was darkness. A frown was placed on his face, his hope of finding a source to escape this hole of darkness faltered. He felt as if he's been there for a long time, and he wanted to desperately escape.

"I should've known, it's all an illusion..." he mumbled, looking down at his feet with sad eyes.

Blake just stood there, unwilling to hope that a way to escape would come to him. If only the voice could find him and reach him. If only he could be pulled out of this taunting field of nothingness.

 _I need you..._

Once again, the voice echoed through the dark field, but loud and clear. Blake became more alert this time, looking around to find out where it came from.

"There it is again," Blake told himself, now fully aware of the voice.

 _Take control..._

Without a moment of hesitation, the blond man sprinted toward the direction of the voice. He had a feeling that if he followed the voice, he could escape this empty prison.

 _Fight the monster..._

It was small and faintly there, but Blake was able to see that speck of light that contrasted from this prison. Panting, he pushed himself to continue running.

 _I need you..._

The light in front of him seemed to get bigger the more he ran. The closer he got, the more clear the voice became. Blake gritted his teeth, his eyes flaring with determination.

"It's Akira's voice!" he thought to himself.

 _Come back to me..._

Blake was so close to reaching the light. The field of darkness now illuminating with the bright light of hope. The dark prison now became a bright sanctuary.

 _Please, come back to me..._

"I'm coming, Akira!" Blake shouted.

He jumped into the light, his right arm reaching for it. All he could see was the light, the light that guided him out of the darkness. He was free, finally escaping the hell he was once trapped in.

A sudden scream ripped through the demon's mouth as he pushed away Akira from the embrace. Startled, Arcanine came right to Akira's side with a worried look. The two watched as Blake fell to his knees while clutching his head. His screams became louder and louder as the mental battle took place, two souls fighting for dominance of one body. The pain became unbearable, which caused Blake to scream even louder.

This meant that Arioch was losing.

The screams began to slowly get quieter and they eventually stopped altogether as Blake suddenly collapsed. One of his hand was clutching his head, trying to suppress the pain from his victorious battle. Akira quickly rushed to his side and fell down to her knees right next to him. Blake groaned in pain, causing Akira to worry.

"Blake, are you okay?!" she asked urgently.

"I'll be fine," he answered. "It's just a headache, it'll go away eventually."

Blake removed his hand from his head and sat up straight. Akira smiled as soon as she made eye contact with his blue eyes. They were no longer the color of blood, the color of that demon, they were the eyes of the man she knew and fell for. Before he could even do anything, Blake was quickly thrown back as Akira threw herself at him. Out of instinct, he wrapped his arms around her and used one of his elbows to prevent the two from falling down.

A small blush crept up at him as his eyes widened in surprise. Akira's grip on Blake became tighter and tighter, which he was clearly confused about. From a few feet away, Arcanine smirked at the two knights, clearly having an idea of what was going on.

"A-Akira? What are you doing?!" he stuttered.

"I was scared, you idiot!" she screamed into his shoulder. "I thought that... I thought t-that you w-were going to..."

Realization hit Blake like a ton of bricks. It was the first time anyone had seen him when he was possessed. Anyone who'd make contact with the demon's eyes were said to never live to tell the tale. It was only natural Akira reacted like how she did; she was worried and scared. Blake's eyes relaxed as he tightened his grip on Akira.

"There's no way I'd let a monster like him take complete control of me. He may be a demon, but even they have weaknesses of their own. Do you wanna know something, Akira?"

The white haired woman pulled away from the embrace and sat on her legs. Blake sat up straight, his face turning unusually serious.

"In my mind, I was trapped in a prison of darkness. There was no speck of light anywhere. All I saw was darkness wherever I looked. It felt like I was there for a long time, my sanity was being eaten away by the nothingness that surrounded me. But then I heard a voice, a voice that sounded so familiar, yet I wasn't able to recognize it right away. It was gone for a bit, but after a while I heard it calling for me.

"I got this feeling that if I followed the voice, it would lead me to an opportunity that would allow me to escape the dark prison. So I did what my gut told me and followed the voice. As I followed it, I started seeing the light, and the more I ran toward it the brighter and brighter it became. The fifth time I heard the voice, I finally recognized it. It was your voice, Akira."

"My... voice...?" she mumbled, which Blake answered with a not and a grateful grin.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I followed your voice until the end. I jumped into the light and fought back for control of my body all because I had you to guide me out of the darkness."

Akira didn't know what to feel at that moment. She was shocked at the tale Blake told her about him escaping the prison of darkness because her voice guided him out, yet she was touched that her voice was able to bring him back to his old self. The demon was in a deep slumber and he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. A smile found itself making its way to Akira's lips as she clutched the fabric of her now ruined dress.

"I... I don't know what to say," she admitted sheepishly, a blush fading onto her cheeks.

"I do," Blake spoke tenderly. "You saved me. You tamed the demon within me, so thank you."

Before Akira could say anymore, a loud scream startled the forest. Flying-type Pokémon immediately flew away from the scary frequency as the two knights made quickly stood up on their feet. The scream sounded so haunting, as if someone witnessed a nightmare in real life.

"What was that?" Akira questioned, looking around.

"I don't know, but we have to investigate," he claimed and grabbed her wrist. "C'mon, the scream came from over here."


	23. Until Death Do Us Apart

Everything around her was of no importance. The only thing that mattered to her was the life of the man she loved with all her heart. Layla fell to her knees next to Mark with a never ending supply of tears streaming down her face, like a river of sorrow flowing through. Her shaky hands pressed against the fatal wound that decorated Mark's torso, but despite all denial she kept telling herself, the reality was that the wound was beyond repair. The wound resembled a scarlet pool of blood that overflowed from the sides. Layla removed her hands from the wound and stared at them with horror.

"No way..." she mumbled in disbelief before looking back down at Mark. "No... no no no no no no..."

The brunette's hands fell limply to her side, her breaths quickening as her heart raced with anxiety. Her sapphire blue eyes kept producing tears as she stared at her lover's face, only catching glimpse of his empty grey eyes that were half covered by his eyelids. His mouth was slightly agape with dried blood staining part of his chin and his whole frame remained stiffly still. With denial still building up within her, Layla placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly shook him.

"Please Mark," she begged in a whisper. "Wake up... I can't lose you again. Please..."

She stopped momentarily, her vision being clouded by nothing but blurriness that was brought about by her own tears. Layla was trying her best to not break down, but it seemed like it wasn't working. All she wanted to do was cry, cry until she downed in her own tears of sorrow.

"All I wanted was to be with you again," she mumbled sadly. "All I wanted was to be part of your life once again..."

Layla brought her hand up and wiped away some of her tears, the blood on her hands now staining her ivory skin. It was the blood of the man she loved, the man who fought bravely to end the mess that involved her with something she had nothing to do with. However, was it worth it if the price was his life? The brunette tore her eyes away from Mark for a second and glanced passed him, her eyes landing on the slightly shriveled corpse of Fabian Starke. The fight to the death they both agreed to take on ended in a duel with both sides losing.

There was no real winner of this fight.

The brunette now placed her teary gaze upon Mark, who still showed no signs of moving at all. Layla moved a bit closer to him and used her hand to remove a stray lock of hair from his eye. She lowered her hand and caressed his pale cheek, one of her tears landing on it and sliding right off. From there, the sad reality of what had happened finally hit her hard. A sob escaped from her mouth before she collapsed onto Mark's upper torso and completely broke down.

Pain was all he felt as he slowly regained his limited amount of consciousness back. Arceus allowed him to say his final goodbye before he returned to the Land of the Dead because that's where he belonged. Mark flinched as he slowly opened his heavy eyes. He felt something heavy weigh down on his upper torso, vibrating with sobs. The first thing he noticed was a pool of dark brown hair, which instantly gave him the answer on who was sobbing on top of him.

With whatever strength he could muster up, Mark brought his hand up and placed it on top of Layla's brown locks. She froze upon contact, slowly lifting herself up to see who it was. Her teary eyes widened in shock as she saw Mark's eyes on her with a small smile on his face.

"Tears shouldn't stain your beautiful face, my dear," he mumbled weakly.

His hand dropped from her head and cupped the side of her face, using his thumb to trace over her cheek. All the while, Layla did not move an inch, still remaining in a shocked state. She thought for sure he was dead, but maybe Arceus showed him mercy and allowed him to continue living. Layla brought her hand up and placed it over Mark's hand.

"Mark... you're alive." She smiled. "Thank Arceus..."

However, her smile soon dropped into a frown when she saw Mark's regretful grey eyes. The two dropped their hands, all the while a sorrowful atmosphere began to form around them.

"I'm so sorry, Layla." He sighed regretfully. "But... I'm afraid I don't have much time left."

All hope was shattered at his words once they rang through Layla's ears. She couldn't believe what she heard. Mark was awake and if help arrived soon, he would be saved. At least, that's what she thought. But the moment he sealed the deal with Fabian, his death would have been inevitable.

"Why is fate so cruel to us?" she asked, more tears filling her sapphire blue eyes.

"I don't know," Mark answered truthfully. "But... maybe this is a sign for me. Maybe this is Arceus's way of punishing me for my past sins."

"Don't say that!" Layla cried sadly. "You did nothing wrong! I knew what I was getting myself into, but I was willing to take the risk because I love you!"

The dark haired man frowned from both the physical and mental pain. He knew that what Layla said was the truth; she willingly came to him because she loved him. He knew falling for someone like her was a mistake, but he never brought himself to regret it. If it hadn't come to this, he would've happily married her and start a family together. Maybe, if he met her in another life, none of this would had happened.

He was a greedy thief.

She was the jewel he couldn't have.

It just couldn't have worked out without one disappearing, forever lost.

Even if Mark did change for the better, it didn't change the things he did in the past. He didn't want to put the woman he loved so dearly in danger. He didn't want her to risk both their lives to be with her. He didn't want to fall in love with her.

But you just couldn't help how you felt.

"Layla," Mark whispered her name, staring at her slightly blurry face. "I didn't want any of this. I never wanted you to be in danger because of me. I... I didn't want to fall in love, but I couldn't help it. I knew you'd be an easy target, but I couldn't stop falling in love with you."

The dark haired man removed his gaze from Layla and looked up at the night sky. It was dark, almost pitch black. He could have sworn he saw the hooded figure of Death reaching for his soul, but he couldn't tell. All he knew was that time was running out.

"Maybe if we met in a different life, we could have lived happily together. We could have gotten married together, had children of our own, and raise them. Sadly... we can't choose the lives we are given, but love does choose who we're meant to be with."

Layla was at a loss for words. As a child, she had always read fairy tales that ended with the prince and the maiden falling in love, getting married, and living happily ever after. Since then, she had always yearned for that kind of love, a love that would forever live on no matter how far apart they may be, how wealthy or poor they may be, or what actions they may commit. All that mattered was the kind of person they were. Layla acquired that love she longed for when she met Mark and it certainly was like a dream come true.

But now, after all that's happened, it seemed as though the love she had wanted for so long would be taken away once and for all. Death was unforgiving; it made no exceptions to any one. Layla sighed sadly, wiping away tears that lingered in her eyes with the back of her hand. She agreed that if they met in another life, things would have been different. But that's not how it works, much to her dismay. Mark was one minute closer to death, and that was proof enough of her theory.

"I'm just happy that I saved you..." Mark whispered, feeling himself in Death's bony grasp. "The love I have for you will stay with me... even when I'm gone."

"I promise you," Layla mumbled, grabbing his hand into hers. "Your love will always live inside my heart because the love we have will never die."

"I'm glad... Layla, I-I... love... you..."

With those final words said, Mark closed his eyes, his body entering eternal slumber while Death walked away with his soul in hand. Layla still held his hand in hers, staring sadly at it as a tear trailed down her cheek. Footsteps emerged from the surrounding area, and eventually ran toward the scene. The first to arrive were Akira, Blake, and their Pokémon. Next were Soul, Aaron, Axel, and their Pokémon. Still, Layla paid no attention as she was still grieving over the loss of the man she loved.

They all stopped as they arrived closer to the three people there. Akira breathed heavily as she tried to catch her breath, many of the other knights doing the same. They all looked terrible, each one looking like they were caught in some sort of crossfire, barely making it out. Their clothes were torn up, their hairstyles were ruined, and they were covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. But that was the least of their worries because their top priority was their teammate.

"Where is he?" Blake questioned as she looked around.

"I don't know, we just got here," Axel answered.

"He has to be around here some... where..." Akira trailed off, only for her eyes to land on a very bloody corpse.

While the others were looking around, Akira mindlessly walked over to where Layla and Mark were. Her breaths became shorter than usual as her eyes became coated over with denial. Hearing the very close footsteps, Layla slowly took one glance to her left and saw Akira coming toward her. She also saw those eyes filled with denial as she stared at the corpse. The white haired woman stopped and fell to her knees right next to Layla.

Right there was when her denial went away, being replaced with overwhelming shock and sadness. An unbelieving gasp left her mouth as tears formed in Akira's eyes, one already falling down her chin. The person closest to her and Layla was Axel, which he heard her gasp. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Akira and that woman with the red hood kneeling next to a body. Curiously, he walked over to them and decided to see what was going on.

The first thing he noticed was Akira crying while Layla's tear stained eyes gazed down sadly. Axel knelt down next to Akira and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Akira, what's..." his eyes trailed off when he took one glance at the body.

His breath hitched and his eyes widened as he recognized the face. Removing his hand from Akira's shoulder, Axel stood up on his feet and took a few steps away from them. He turned around and hollered at his teammates to come over. Upon hearing his desperate call, the rest of the knights and Pokémon all came toward him. Once they reached his location, they were at a loss of words to what they saw.

"No way..." Blake mumbled, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"We were too late..." Soul mumbled, looking as shocked as Blake.

"But how..." Aaron mumbled mindlessly, completely at a loss for words.

Blake left his place and walked closer to Mark's corpse, his shock never leaving him for a moment. The others circled around the corpse, the air around them thick with grief. Each face had shock written all over them, while some shed tears. Mightyena whimpered sadly before nuzzling his face onto Layla's lap, his tears free falling as she ran her fingers through his dark fur. All eyes were now on Mark's face that would never wake up to see the next day.

Their comrade, their friend, had died.

* * *

In a dark room, a glass ball radiated a purple light as a woman with dark silver hair watched the scene before her eyes. Her hands were almost cupping the glass ball, but her pale lavender eyes seemed to never let go of the sight. A scowl was pulled back on her lips when she saw a certain spiky haired man lying motionlessly on the ground.

"That stupid gijinka!" she growled, her eyes flaring with anger. "I gave him specific orders and what does he do?! Ignores me! Even with his power, the idiot managed to get himself killed! Honestly, why did I allow such useless trash to work with me?! Same goes for those creepy clones! Ugh!"

The woman's hands fell to her side, causing the crystal ball to turn off and the lights in the room to turn back on. She still held her glare on the crystal ball, remembering the corpse of one of her fallen teammates. To her, anyone who failed a simple mission deserved to die, even if they were one of her own comrades. A knock on the door brought her silent raging to a halt. The woman walked over to the door and opened it, revealing another woman with caramel colored hair and stoic golden eyes.

Her scowl was pulled up into a smirk as she placed a hand on her hip, instantly knowing of her new plan of action. The brunette frowned one of her eyebrows as she looked at her mistress, waiting of her to say something.

"Good, you're here," she told the brunette.

"You summoned me, Mistress Claire?"

"Yes, I would like to show you something rather.. interesting." The woman, Claire, motioned for the brunette to follow her. "Come with me."

The brunette nodded and followed her to the crystal ball. The silver haired woman placed her hands near the supernatural device, causing the lavender light to radiant once again. What was revealed was the same setting, a bunch of people mourning over the loss of one of their friends. The brunette's golden eyes showed pity as she watched two of them cry out in despair.

"These people hold the answer to something I'm after," Claire spoke, snapping the brunette out of her small pity fest. "I sent Fabian to get information out of them, but the idiot disobeyed me and ruined everything. Now he's dead."

"I see..."

"No matter, he was useless anyway." Claire shrugged carelessly, showing no pity for her comrade. "Besides, there's only one person in particular I'm after."

With that said, the crystal ball zoomed in on a woman with blonde hair and grieving sea green eyes. She was gazing down at the ground sadly as someone tried to comfort her, telling her that it wasn't her fault. Once the image was clear, the brunette's eyes widened in surprise, which was the exact reaction Claire was expecting.

"Remember her? Your best friend?" she teased with an evil smirk, causing the brunette to narrow her eyes at her mistress.

"I don't understand," she spoke. "What does she have that you want? Why her? And why me?"

"She's an aura guardian, and also..." Claire scowled once again and balled up her hands into tight fists when she glanced at a familiar face. "There's someone in her team that needs... explaining."

"But why—"

"Her and her squadron are coming here to Viridian Village for a mission. What perfect timing to put my plan into action than now? Besides..." Claire turned around and leaned closer to the brunette's ear. "You finally get to be reunited with your best friend after all these years. Shouldn't you be happy?"

With that, Claire took her leave, leaving behind a shocked brunette. Her mouth was slightly agape and her golden eyes were incredulously wide. At first, she was glad her best friend was coming back, but then after that witch mentioned her plan, she couldn't help but feel demolished.

This wasn't going to be a happy reunion at all.

"Dammit all..." she mumbled, looking down at the ground with a glare before closing her eyes momentarily.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you, Soul."


	24. A Queen’s Anguish

Her hazel eyes remained wide with shock as she read over the words written on the piece of partchment. The grip she held the piece of parchment became tight to the point where it began to wrinkle. Words couldn't describe what she felt once she registered the ill news brought to her from Amelia Ainsworth.

Fabian Starke, a fugitive from Johto, was killed by the hands of Mark Desai, one of Elliot Belray's trusted knights who was sent on that mission. The Queen would've been relieved to know that there was one less fugitive to terrorize her nation had she not found out Mark lost his life during that confrontation. It was bad enough that Johto's acting leader was pressuring Kanto to join forces with them and go to war against Hoenn. She thought she didn't know which side to stand by, but after this, she now knew that Johto wasn't to be trusted.

First, they ignore the contract that bonded them as allies with Kanto and Hoenn. Then, their fugitives made their way onto her territory and caused trouble for her civilians. And finally, they may have done something to the previous king of Kanto. She was very well suspicious that someone or a group of people may have been involved in her husband's murder five years ago. If only she had more evidence to back up her claim.

The sound of footsteps entering the large throne room echoed, causing Queen Rin to look over toward the direction they came from. She felt her guilt rise when she found Father Malcolm making his way toward her with an innocent smile on his lips. How was she going to tell him of the loss of his grandson's knight?

"Your Highness, I'm so happy that you've summoned me." He chuckled. "How may I be of assistance to you?"

"Actually, there is something I must inform you of." She looked down at the parchment in her hand. "Something grave has occurred in Nebesa Town. Lady Ainsworth has informed me of it as well."

Father Malcolm's smile dropped into a frown upon hearing the Queen's hesitant voice.

"My, it certainly sounds serious. What could have happened, Your Highness?" he asked.

"Fabian Starke, one of the most wanted fugitives from Johto, was killed at Lady Ainsworth's Aether Day Ball," she informed him. The Priest appeared rather confused.

"I'm afraid I do not understand. Shouldn't this be good news?" he wondered. Queen Rin shook her head.

"Mark Desai lost his life in order to take down Fabian Starke." She looked at the Priest with sad eyes. "You're grandson's best knight died that night."

The throne room was suddenly filled with heavy silence once the Queen informed Father Malcolm of the grave news. He was well aware of Mark's past life as a contract thief, but he also knew how close he and Elliot were. The thing he admired about his grandson was his ability to believe that people could change. Elliot admired Mark for doing just that and becoming a powerful knight who'd give up his life for his nation.

How would Elliot react when he received news of Mark's death? What would he do?

"Lady Ainsworth arranged a funeral for Mark Desai," Queen Rin mentioned, catching Father Malcolm's attention. "It was held a few days after the incident."

"I'd have to thank her for that kind gesture." Father Malcolm chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, how will Elliot handle this?"

"I apologize for this loss." The Queen looked away. "It's my fault those Johto fugitives are here in the first place."

"Please, Your Highness, it's no one's fault Mark died. It's just unfortunate this happened," Father Malcolm said. However, it still didn't make her feel any less guilty.

Those fugitives were here to get revenge. They had to be. She read up on old documents from when her husband was still alive. He had decided to ignore an alliance with Johto to go to war with the Orre region. It was one of their worse crisis, but she knew why her husband made that decision.

He didn't want his nation to get involved with their problems.

This could also be the main motive as to why her husband was assassinated in the first place. That was why she suspected those fugitives were back on Kanto territory again. They wanted revenge for her husband's decision of turning them down.

"I think we should go and tell Elliot of this unfortunate news." Father Malcolm looked at her. "Will you accompany me, Your Highness?"

"Of course."

With that, they both left the throne room and had someone prepare a carriage for them to go to Indigo Palace.

* * *

The whole ride there felt like it took longer than usual. Queen Rin's guilt rose the closer they got to Elliot's mansion. She prepared herself for what he may respond with, whether it was denial, anger, or complete mourning.

The carriage came to a stop, making the Queen sigh with relief. Some of Elliot's knights came out and escorted her and Father Malcolm into the mansion. They both wore solemn looks on their faces the entire time. The Queen felt as though she was going to be sick, but swallowed down a lump that formed in her throat.

After a few minutes, they were stopped when they arrived at Elliot's favorite place: the study. A knight knocked on the door three times until they heard a response from the Duke. The doors were opened, allowing Queen Rin and Father Malcolm to enter.

"Duke Belray, you have visitors," one of the knights announced.

The platinum haired man looked up. His eyes swirled with confusion when they landed on his grandfather and the Queen. Elliot got up from his desk and dismissed the knights, leaving them alone. He smiled lightly at them as he made his way toward them.

"Grandfather, Your Highness, to what do I owe this visitation?" he asked.


	25. True Emotions

It's been almost two weeks since the incident during Aether Day, two weeks since the day the squadron lost one of their members. Since then, they hadn't been able to move on, especially Layla. When they arrived back to the mansion that day, Soul told Amelia everything that happened. The representative was nice enough to arrange a funeral so Mark could rest in peace. It took a couple of days, but when the body was buried, everyone and everything emitted nothing but sorrow.

No one talked that day, no one smiled, no one did anything. All they thought about was how they lost a member of their team, how they lost a friend. Seeing his name on that headstone was tough on all of them, especially Layla and Mightyena. The knights couldn't bring themselves to move on after all that happened, so they stayed a few more days to recover from both mental and physical injuries. Even still, Soul believed it was almost impossible they could ever move on.

As for Layla and Mightyena, they both stayed back in Nebesa Town, courtesy of Amelia. Soul remembered the day they left, she told them she was grateful they took care of him when she wasn't there. She told them that she was thankful for everything they've done for him. Mightyena stayed with her. He was the only one left that could stay with her since Mark couldn't anymore. The squadron left Nebesa Town with only five of Soul's knights.

She failed to keep the whole group together until the end.

A tired sigh escaped her lips as they all continued walking toward their next destination, the one place Soul certainly did not feel comfortable going back after all that happened. Death seemed to follow her everywhere, teasing her by showing her the souls of people she once knew. Her mother, her father, and now Mark. She was not feeling up for going to Viridian Village, but she had no say in the matter. It was all part of the mission they must accomplish.

As the squadron entered a spacious clearing, Soul stopped and rose her hand, signalling the others to stop walking. She felt the wind pick up, flocks of Wingulls and Pelippers flying by. That must mean they were close to an ocean, which also meant that they were nearing the place Soul use to call home. The blonde woman turn around and faced her other teammates, who were all looking around.

"Let's take a break," Soul told them. "We could really use one."

Before they could do or say anything, she turned back around and walked away from them. Not even Gallade or Aaron followed her, which the blonde woman was grateful for. She needed some time to think for herself, to fix herself up from all that's happened.

The knights and Pokémon did what they were told and sat around doing their own thing. During their trip out here, no one said a word. No one brought up what had happened back in Nebesa Town, each one lost in their own thoughts. After Soul separated from the group, the strange atmosphere around them became thicker and uncomfortable. Each knight felt as if there was some sort of weight on their shoulders that followed them from that day.

Akira sat on top of a tree branch, looking up at the sky through the gaps of leaves. Her mind wandered back on that day, when Blake almost lost control of himself. She could still remember what he said, what made him come back to his senses.

 _"I got this feeling that if I followed the voice, it would lead me to an escape that would take me out of the dark prison. So I did what my gut told me and followed the voice. As I followed it, I started seeing the light, and the more I ran toward it the brighter and brighter it became. The fifth time I heard the voice, I finally recognized it. It was your voice, Akira."_

 _"My... voice...?" she mumbled, to which Blake nodded to with a grateful grin._

 _"Yeah," he confirmed. "I followed your voice until the end. I jumped into the light and fought back for control of my body, all because I had you to guide me out of the darkness."_

"So my voice guided you out of the darkness, huh?" she mumbled to herself as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "That's the most cliché thing I've ever heard. Things like that only happen in fairy tales. However..."

Akira opened her eyes, a warming look coated over her face. Her mouth pulled up into a small smile as she felt her heart flutter a bit.

"Saying that I'm the one who did it... it makes me feel... happy."

Meanwhile, Blake sat on a fallen log that was a few feet away from the rest of his teammates. His chin rested on his hands that were placed on his knees, staring directly in front of him as if deep in thought. He's been thinking over a lot of things, mostly about his feelings. It's because of his feelings the monster inside was able to control him and go berserk. He now realized he made it a habit of being overwhelmed with emotions.

The blond knight dropped his head into his hands, tugging a bit at his hair in frustration. Things like emotions were a foreign concept to him; he never understood the reason he felt what he felt. But whenever it was anger, rage, or fury that had him, it helped him fall into the grasp of the demon. Now that he thought about it, his demon always took over whenever he felt that way.

But then, why was he able to come back when he heard Akira's voice? It didn't make sense to him in the slightest. What he did know was how dangerous his emotions could be, especially during a time of weakness.

"Why is everything so damn complicated?" he mumbled to himself.

 ** _ **You just do not understand, pathetic human.**_**

Blake's eyes narrowed instantly when that raspy demonic voice rang through his head. He hadn't heard from him since Aether Day, which to Blake was peace on Earth. Hearing him back in his psyche made his mood foul a bit.

 _Go away, I have nothing to say to you._

 ** _ **Why must you be so harsh toward me?**_**

 _Because you used me for murder again._

 ** _ **Nay, human. You used me to kill the ones who hurt your loved one.**_**

 _Loved one? No, they hurt Akira. How was I going to let them go after what they did to her?!_

 ** _ **Why must you humans be so dense?**_**

A look of confusion crossed Blake's face as he rose one eyebrow. Dense? Him? Well, he knew he wasn't the smartest person around, but he never considered himself dense.

 ** _ **Would you like to know why I was able to be tamed the moment you escaped the dark prison?**_**

 _Like I have nothing better to do..._

 ** _ **Let us begin from the beginning. Tell me, how did you feel when you saw your friend wounded by the people who ruined your life?**_**

 _Angry, infuriated, more or less._

 ** _ **Those emotions were what made you mentally weak; it was a time of vulnerability that allowed me to easily**_** ** _ **control you. When you got too caught up in what happened, you began to lose sense in what you were doing in the first place. You forgot to remind yourself of the situation in hand. That was how you ended up prisoner of the darkness. However, there was something that allowed you to escape**_** _._

 _Yeah, Akira's voice._

 ** _ **Wrong, human. What counteracts evil? Think about it.**_**

Blake thought it over for a bit. To any hero out there, the answer was only obvious. But he wasn't a hero; he's a knight. A knight's duty was to protect their people with all his life, to protect them from the evil that plagued the earth. Protect the people from evil.

 _The good counteracts the evil,_ Blake answered. _So what?_

 ** _ **My evil was counteracted by your friend, Akira Minami. She was the good that made its way into your head and guided you toward the light. When I looked into her eyes, I knew she was afraid of me, but despite it all, she remained determined to get you back. Only those with the strongest bond would go to such lengths to save their significant other.**_**

Blake's eyes softened as he took one glance up at the white haired woman who sat on a tree branch, looking up at the sky with a thoughtful look. It was because of her stubbornness and determination that he was saved by her. But there was still something that didn't sit right with him. Of all people, why Akira? What made her different from everyone else?

 ** _ **The answer is quite simple, but your lack of intelligence makes it difficult.**_**

 _Hey!_

 ** _ **Like I mentioned before, Akira Minami possessed the good that was able to go against my evil. Within that good, she possessed another emotion that was able to eradicate myself back into that damned seal.**_**

Unconsciously, Blake's hand traveled to his chest where the cursed seal branded him. He use to hate it with all his might because it remained a label to remind him of what he became five years ago. He still hated it, but not as much. If Akira's good was able to shove his demon all the way down, what was able to enhance it?

 _What are you talking about?_

 ** _ **Love.**_**

 _What?_

 ** _ **Because of the love she had for you, Akira Minami was able to overpower me and rescue you from your prison.**_**

Blake's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that conclusion. Akira, the woman who was always harsh toward him, was in love with him? The thought never even occurred to him. He always thought Akira didn't like him any more than a friend. The blond knight took a glance at the woman one last time before his head fell into his hands again, adding a groan of frustration.

"This is still complicated..."

Suddenly, the white haired woman swung her legs to one side and jumped off the tree branch, alerting the other remaining three knights. Akira landed on her feet with a small grunt before looking at all her teammates.

"I'm going to go look for Major," she announced.

"I'll go with you!" Aaron replied as he hastily got to his feet. Akira seemed surprised, but shook her head.

"I'm going alone," she claimed, declining his request. "I need to speak with her about something... personal."

With that, the white haired woman went off to the direction she last saw her superior go.

* * *

Soul sat in front of a small lake staring at her reflection with a blank look. Ever since the whole incident, she blamed herself for Mark's death. She blamed herself for not being strong enough to stop him before running off and she blamed herself for being too slow to save him. That night, she didn't sleep because all she could see was Mark's corpse the moment she closed her eyes. Even now, his image would sometimes come to her, taunting her for her weakness.

The blonde woman let out a 'tch' and slapped the water's surface that reflected her face. Droplets splashed back onto the water, creating small rings of ripples here and there. Soul let her hand fall back onto her lap, her eyes glaring at her reflection.

"You let your own comrade die," she sneered. "And you still let the others call you a leader."

From a small distance away, Soul began to sense an aura coming toward her direction. Normally she'd reach for her sword upon detecting another being around, but once she recognized the familiar essence, she stayed the way she was. A few minutes later, Soul looked over her shoulder and spotted Akira walking toward her. The blonde woman looked back at the lake, waiting for her only female friend to join her. Once there, Akira sat down next to her, the two now staring emptily at the lake.

"You disappeared on us, Major," Akira spoke. "Sir Aaron is getting worried."

"Sometimes I need time to myself," Soul mumbled, taking a small side glance at the white haired woman. "How's your wound?"

"It's a little sore," Akira answered, her hand unconsciously going to her side. "But nothing I can't handle."

"Mind telling me why you're here?" Soul asked, not removing her gaze from the lake.

Akira stayed quiet for a bit, trying to gather any courage she had to tell her what's been bothering her since that day, before the whole death thing. Soul may be impatient, especially because of her current mood, but she decided to bite her tongue and let Akira take her time to gather up what she wanted to say. After a moment or so, the white haired woman finally spoke.

"I need to speak with you... it's about Blake," she admitted. The blonde woman tore her gaze from the lake and looked at Akira with a curious look.

"What about Blake?" she asked.

"Lately, ever since Aether Day, I've been feeling differently toward him. It's like, whenever I'm around him, my heart starts to flutter, my stomach feels like it's housing twenty Beautiflies, and I suddenly feel self conscious about what I do or say," she explained.

"What exactly happened, if you don't mind me asking," Soul gave the white haired woman her full attention.

"After he killed the Devilry Brothers, he was still possessed by that demon. I stood against him, telling him to bring Blake back. Even if he glared at me with his scary red eyes, I was willing to risk it and embrace him, telling him to come back. Next thing I knew, he was kneeling over while clutching his head. After a bit, he seemed alright, and he was back to normal."

Soul looked away and closed her eyes, an answer already coming up in her mind. Though, she couldn't say she didn't see it coming because anyone who glanced at the two could've guessed it. However, she decided to keep her opinion quiet until she heard more.

"What did Blake say after that?" Soul asked Akira.

"He told me he heard my voice, that my voice guided him out of the darkness and allowed him to come to his senses," she explained further, burying her head in her hands. "Since then, I couldn't look at him the same way anymore. I don't understand, Major, what's wrong with me? Why can't I look at my best friend the same way anymore?"

The blonde woman opened one eye and stared at the somewhat frustrated white haired woman in front of her. It hadn't occurred to her until now, but maybe this is the first time Akira had felt a different kind of emotion toward someone that wasn't her family.

Love.

Soul sighed before opening her other eye and turning her body around to face Akira. She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, causing the white haired woman to raise her head a bit and look at her superior. A small grin was placed on Soul's lips as her green eyes softened.

"Nothing is wrong with you, Akira. Everyone goes through this at some point in their lives. There's nothing wrong with a change of emotions when it comes to a certain someone, at least that's what I believe. I think the reason why you can't look at Blake the same way anymore, or why you feel so differently toward him, is because you're in love with him."

Akira's eyes widened as a blush rose to her cheeks. Her? In love with Blake? That couldn't be the case because there's no way he could ever feel the same way again. So why, of all people, did she end up having those feelings for him?

"L-Love?" Akira stuttered before looking away. "That's not possible! There's no way!"

"You're pretty stubborn." Soul sighed. "I'm telling you this because I don't want you to run away from your emotions. Not only is it bad for you, but it's also bad for Blake. You have to face it, Akira. You fell in love with an idiot."

Akira looked back at Soul, who gave her a closed eyed smile as a small chuckle left her mouth. A small breeze went by as two Flying-type Pokémon soared the sky above them. The white haired woman looked away again, a sad look visible in her brown eyes. Sensing that she's not getting any kind of reaction, Soul opened her eyes and saw Akira gazing at the river with a sad look.

"What's wrong?" Soul asked.

"How could I've been so careless and let myself fall in love with someone who could possibly die at any day?" Akira mindlessly asked. Soul smiled once again and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry about him," she assured. "He has a reason for living and that reason is you. Without you, he'd be roaming the world without a cause. All you have to do is stay alive, both for yourself and for Blake."

Soul removed her gaze from Akira and looked up at the sky, watching as two clouds parted for the sun to shine brighter than earlier. Something ran through her mind, something about her own feelings.

"Believe me, living on would be best for the both of you," she added.

Just like Akira said before, how could she have been so careless as to fall in love with someone who could possibly die at any day? She was well aware of the disasters that love brought upon people, but even still, she managed to do it. Unlike most woman, Soul did not want herself to fall in love with anyone, afraid that she'd only get hurt in the end. That's why she kept her distance whenever she could. After all, there's nothing more painful than a broken heart.

Unfortunately, she did end up falling in love. What made it worse was the fact that she fell in love with her mentor and fellow aura guardian. That dance they shared during the ball was magical. It felt too good to be true, especially when they almost kissed.

With a sigh, Soul stood up on her feet, catching Akira's attention. She noticed that Soul had a strange look in her eyes. It was faint, yet she was able to see it. It looked like sadness, but there was something else that Akira couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"We should head back to the others and head out again," Soul suggested, offering her hand to Akira.

Akira nodded and accepted the blonde's hand, using it to hoist herself up to her feet. The two women maneuvered their way through the forest and met up with the others. It wasn't long after that they all headed off to their next destination.

Viridian Village.


	26. Maya Delevingne

Bittersweet.

That was the best word to describe the way Soul felt about being in a place she once called home, a place where she grew up in before she was orphaned. The blonde woman was happy she could be here after so many years of being away, yet she felt so reluctant? Maybe it's because this was the place where both good and bad memories were created, those memories that she'd remember until the day she died. Soul thought she was prepared to come back by the time the squadron got here, but she was wrong. She shouldn't be feeling reluctant at all.

No one knew this was place where she grew up in, not even Aaron. How could she? Every time she even thought about this place, her mind wandered over to her deceased parents. Soul took a deep breath, motioning for the rest of the squadron to follow her as she went through the entrance. Viridian Village hadn't changed much; vast green plains with houses scattered about. She wondered if her old house was still here.

As they walked through the village, Soul heard some of her teammates comment about this place being more welcoming than other places they've been in. Some of the villagers smiled over at the squadron, others giving them small greetings as they passed by. The people here were always so happy and welcoming, almost nothing could break the friendly atmosphere they created here.

"Wow!" Blake whistled. "This place looks so cozy."

"It's different, but I really like it," Akira commented.

"We're not here to go sight seeing," Soul reminded them, looking over to my teammates. "We're here on—"

Her sentence was cut off when she accidentally bumped right into someone, causing them to fall while the blonde woman just staggered back, barely catching herself before she could fall. Soul looked at the person who she ran into. It was a woman who seemed to be around her age. The woman rubbed her shoulder a little bit with a small groan.

"Dammit, not again..." she mumbled to herself quietly before looking back up at Soul. "I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz!"

Soul held out a hand for her to take, which she gladly took. She helped the woman up to her feet, giving her a small grin.

"Don't worry about it," Soul assured her. "It was an accident."

"Which you caused," Gallade piped in. "Just sayin'."

The blonde woman turned to him with a sharp glare that she mustered up all too well. Gallade shrieked before hiding behind Axel, only slightly peering over his shoulder.

"I'm not a shield you know," Axel told him.

"Shush," Gallade hissed. "Shields don't talk."

Soul rolled her eyes before looking back at the other woman. Her sea green eyes made immediate contact with her golden colored eyes. Wait a minute, those eyes... they were so familiar. She felt as though she had seen them before. She knew she had, and this kind aura the woman radiated... it's all too familiar. A small gasp left her mouth as her eyes widened a bit.

The familiar brunette rose an eyebrow at Soul and tilted her head to the side in confusion. In not even a nanosecond did she react the same way.

"Maya Delevingne...?"

"Soul Fraverden?"

There was a moment of silence, the two of them just staring at each other's shocked faces. Soul couldn't believe it. Was this really her childhood friend from all those years ago? How could she still remember her face, let alone her name? A huge smile began to form on Soul's face as Maya's golden eyes sparkled with joy.

"I can't believe it. It really is you!" she exclaimed, immediately pulling Soul into a tight hug.

The blonde woman returned the hug, a pleasant smile plastered on her lips as she hugged her long lost friend tightly. She felt like such a terrible friend; how could she forget someone as amazing as her? Maya was introduced to Soul by her mother because she was the daughter of a very close friend of hers. Whenever both of her parents had to work, Soul was always over at Maya's house with her older brother, Slaine, babysitting them. The two women became very close, as close as sisters were.

The two of them pulled away, Soul's smile never leaving her face. Maya had certainly changed since Soul last saw her. She got taller, her figure was relatively average, her skin was a shade darker than Soul remembered and not to mention that her hair was so long. Then again, Maya did have a hatred for short hair.

"How long has it been since we last saw each other?" Maya asked, to which Soul shrugged at.

"Eight years?" the blonde woman guessed, a giggle leaving her mouth.

"If you have to ask, then it's certainly been a long time!" She chuckled.

Before Soul could say any more, Gallade suddenly placed himself in between the two women. A look of surprise crossed her features before she turned around, checking his last hiding spot, and then turning back around. He certainly wasted no time moving.

"Um, Soul?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Aren't you forgetting that we're still here?"

Taken aback by his persistent attitude, she decided to actually listen to him. Soul looked over her shoulder and there she saw the confused but patient faces of her comrades. Turning back around, she saw Maya looking at Gallade with a startled look, most likely because of his telepathy. A sheepish smile found its way onto her face as she looked at Gallade's persistent face.

"Whoops, my apologies." Soul laughed sheepishly.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Maya inquired, causing all of the knights to look at her.

"What is it?" Soul asked.

"Why don't you all come to my home and we can talk there? It'll be a fun way to catch up!" she suggested.

Before Soul could say anything on the matter, her brunette friend grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the direction of her home. The rest of the squadron followed behind while Soul stumbled on her feet as Maya kept dragging her.

"H-Hold on a minute, Maya," Soul called out. "We're not here on a vacation. We're here looking for the representative of Viridian Village for important business!"

"Oh you! Haven't you heard?" she inquired, looking over her shoulder at Soul with an excited look.

"I am the representative of Viridian Village!"

* * *

By the time they arrived at Maya's huge mansion, the sun had already begun to set. The whole way, Soul couldn't get over the fact that her best friend was now the representative of their home. When and how did this happen? Being a representative was a tough job as it was, but bearing the name while still young could make matters complicated, especially since she was a woman without noble marriage to heighten her status. Soul was worried this job may become too stressful for her best friend.

She felt Maya let her wrist go as they stopped in front of the door to the mansion. The brunette knocked on the door and a maid answered the door in no time. The maid bowed down in a polite manner at the brunette woman.

"Welcome home, Lady Delevingne," she greeted.

"Thank you," Maya replied with a smile. "Jane, inform the others that we have guests."

"Will do, Milady."

The maid turned around and went back inside the house. Maya turned over to the squadron and motioned for them to follow her. When everyone was inside the huge house, Maya led them to the enormous living room, which was decorated with wine red velvet couches, a black coffee table with a thick glass in the middle, a fireplace west of the living room, and an expensive looking chandelier hanging in the center of the room. The knights each took their own individual seats and not long after that the maid from earlier entered.

"Would any of you like something to drink?" she asked.

"I wouldn't mind some tea, please," Axel requested.

"Me too," Akira added.

"Do you have some poffins I could have?" Gallade asked, earning him a bonk to the head by none other than Lucario.

"Do not be so rude!" he scolded.

Jane and Maya chuckled lightly at their bickering while Soul face palmed. No matter how many times he's been scolded, Gallade would never learn his manners.

"I'll be right back with the tea and poffins," Jane announced before turning around and leaving.

"Anyway," Maya spoke. "Why don't we get the introductions out of the way?"

From there, everyone took their turns introducing themselves to her. Maya seemed to be taking a liking to the squadron, which was a good thing. What had suddenly dawned on Soul was the fact that she hadn't explained to everyone how she knew Maya. Actually, she hadn't told anyone that Maya was a childhood friend before she disappeared from the village. While it may be true that her past was tragic, it didn't mean that they knew her whole story.

As the squadron began to engage in a conversation with Maya, Jane came back with the beverages and poffins. Gallade didn't hesitate to wolf the whole bowl down clean. Soul really wondered how he managed to do that without getting a stomach ache. The blonde woman sighed, her mind still trying to ease up a bit. A sudden thought occurred to her as she remembered something Maya had told her earlier.

"Hey Maya," Soul called, causing her to look at me. "You said you're the representative of Viridian Village, correct?"

"That's right!" She nodded. "I was put in charge after..."

The enthusiastic spark in her eyes were put out and replaced with a sad hue. Her lips dropped into a sad frown. Whatever happened certainly wasn't a good thing.

"After what?" Blake asked. Maya took a stiff breath before answering.

"... after my grandfather passed away," she answered. "In his will, he gave me the responsibility of looking after the village he treasured so much."

Soul's confusion soon turned into sympathy as she watched her friend's lip tremble a bit. She felt terrible. How could she not known about this? Her grandfather use to watch over Viridian Village and made sure to take care of the land and the people living in it. It was as if his only purpose of living was to make sure it was never in any sort of trouble. Soul remembered Maya telling her stories of how he would make sure everything was okay before he ever thought of doing anything for his own well being. He was her best friend's role model from the start.

His death must have had a huge affect on her.

"When did he.. you know, pass...?" Soul hesitantly asked.

"Almost a five years ago," Maya answered, causing her guilt to rise.

One of her relatives passed away and Soul wasn't there to comfort her. It made her feel like such an awful friend. The blonde woman's gaze dropped to her lap as she bit her lip. She should have been there for her at the time; she was probably devastated and no one was there to comfort her. The only thing she had left of her grandfather was this village, their home. Soul wondered about how Maya's older brother took it, though she had a feeling he might've had a similar reaction as his little sister.

"I'm sorry about your grandfather, Maya," Soul apologized, keeping her shameful gaze on her lap. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I should've been there for you, both of you."

She didn't deserve a best friend like her if she couldn't be there for her when she needed support and comfort. She disappeared for Arceus only knows how long, leaving behind everything and start a new life as a knight and an aura guardian in training. Never once had Soul thought of the people she also left behind. When her mother went missing, the blonde woman was devastated. The only person who was there for her was Maya, the person who comforted her during a dark time in her life.

"Hey..."

Soul felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up. Maya smiled lightly at the blonde woman as she looked at her with forgiving eyes.

"I was sad that you didn't say goodbye to Grandfather, but I know he wouldn't want you to beat yourself over it. There's no reason for you to be so upset with yourself about this. Lighten up, okay?"

Maya flashed Soul a cheery closed eyed smile, one that had the power to eradicate all evil around. Hearing her say there was no reason for her to be upset gave Soul a sense of reassurance, but it didn't change the guilt she felt on the inside. An incredulous look crossed her features as she looked at Maya's smiling face.

"I still feel bad for just disappearing out of the blue and leaving you behind," Soul said, unsure of why Maya was still smiling at her.

"But you're here now, dummy!" The brunette woman chuckled, lightly shoving her best friend's shoulder. "That's all that matters."

Soul couldn't help but smile a tiny bit at her words. Even if she wasn't ready to come home, she was glad she did. Not only did she miss the place she came from, but she was also reunited with her best friend.

"Thanks, Maya."Soul smiled, to which she nodded to.

"I feel as if we're being ignored, Major," Blake butted in.

"Good, I thought it was just me who felt like that," Axel added.

A sheepish smile made its way onto Soul's lips as a nervous chuckle left her mouth. She didn't blame them for feeling that way; she admitted to sort of leaving them in the dark about this place and her connection to it.

"Sorry about that..." Soul apologized.

"So, Miss Delevingne," Aaron called, causing her to look at him. "Mind telling us how you know Soul?"

"We were childhood best friends," she answered. "We were both introduced to each other through our parents."

"Wait, your parents?" Akira asked, her eyes filled with surprise and interest.

"Does that mean that Major was from Viridian Village?" Blake asked, his expression mimicking Akira's. Maya nodded in affirmation. Soul could already tell that a certain comrade was already annoyed of the fact that she kept this from him.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Blake commented with an enthusiastic smile.

"I would really like to hear what Major was like as a child!" Akira added, clapping her hands together.

"I'd love to tell you all, but it seems to be getting late," Maya announced, glancing at the grandfather clock behind her. "Besides, we sort of got off topic about the whole dilemma with the foreign military on Kanto grounds."

"Aw, what a shame." Akira pouted.

"Don't worry, I promise to fill you all in tomorrow!" Maya assured and stood up. "Perhaps I should show you all to your rooms."

"What? We're staying here?" Axel asked.

Normally they would all just stay at an inn until they've dealt with business in each location. Also, Soul felt like the squadron would be intruding in Maya's space. She didn't want her to feel as if she needed to do all of this for them.

"Why not?" Maya shrugged. "It's not like there aren't enough rooms for all of you. Please, you're more than welcome to stay here."

It seemed like they had no choice. Whenever the brunette woman made up her mind, there's no changing it. Soul looked back at her teammates with a straight face.

"Everyone, looks like we'll be spending the night here," she told them.

"Alright then." Maya nodded with satisfaction. "Follow me."


	27. Midnight Conversation

_"Brother!"_

 _Young Axel ran toward the older boy who walked away from the blazing building behind him. The screams that emitted from there would forever haunt his dreams. Those screams of pain, agony, despair, and most importantly..._

 _Betrayal._

 _His older brother stopped walking once he was about a yard and a half away from the burning house. Axel caught up to him, his breaths coming out short and raspy. He had inhaled some of the smoke when he tried to escape the fire, but he was lucky to have made it out on time. A violent cough left his mouth, causing his chest and throat to burn._

 _"I thought that fire killed everyone," his older brother spoke in such a peculiar monotone voice._

 _"Why, Brother?!" Axel shouted at him, tears escaping his bloodshot eyes. "Why did you do it?! Why did you kill your own family?!"_

 _His brother slowly turned around, Axel's dark brown eyes meeting his almost lifeless grey ones. A gasp escaped the child's lips as he stumbled back and landed on his butt. The curly haired boy looked up at his older brother with complete fear as he looked down at him, like a predator watching its victim squirm before pouncing at it. Would his own brother kill him now?_

 _"Brother..." Axel breathed out. "Why...?"_

 _"Because..." He paused, a moment of dreadful silence following. "We had different ideas, and they didn't agree with mine."_

 _"Huh...?" Axel mumbled._

 _"You're only a child, Axel; you have yet to understand." He removed his gaze from the child before turning around. "Let's just say that if two animals from the same species but different mindsets were placed in the same cage, then one is bound to kill the other. As you get older, I hope you understand why I killed Mother, Father, and Sayo."_

 _"But Sayo was still a child!" Axel exclaimed, crying harder._

 _His child sister was killed for nothing. She was innocent— she had nothing to do with this. Sayo, his baby sister, was dead._

 _"Yes, but if she had gotten any older, Mother and Father would've start to drill these preposterous ideas into her head," he revealed. "That's why I couldn't let her live; everyone needed to die. Hell, even you were suppose to die in that fire."_

 _Axel's hands balled up into fists as hot tears streamed down his face. He glared at his older brother through his tears of anger._

 _He never thought he could feel the burning sensation of hatred run through his veins until this very moment._

 _"Brother... you're a monster! The devil himself! I hate you, you damn devil!" Axel shouted at him._

 _His older brother said nothing about Axel's little outburst. He just started walking toward the nearby forest, leaving the poor boy a sobbing mess. After killing their family, all he was going to do was walk away?_

 _Axel didn't think so; his brother wouldn't get away with this._

 _He swore to find him, and someday..._

 _He would kill him._

A gasp escaped his lips as he jolted upward into a sitting position. His heart raced and he felt himself quiver from his troubled sleep. Axel felt a few beads of sweat run down his temples as he took slow breaths, trying to calm himself down. It took a few minutes, but he managed to calm down. His heart began to beat at a normal pace and his breaths were back to normal.

However, the curly haired man couldn't shake off that troubled feeling that lingered. It was stuck to him, at least for now. He had that dream again, that haunting nightmare that followed him all these years. No, he had that flashback again. It wasn't a nightmare, just a cursed memory.

The day when his older brother killed their family.

That was the last day Axel ever saw him, the last day he ever saw that traitor. His older brother left him orphaned with no one to go to. He was forced to grow up in the slums filled with shady people, but he was strong enough to hold out until he was old enough to enlist in the military. Axel trained himself down to the bone, almost passing out a few times in order to get where he was today. His one and only purpose of becoming a knight was to find his brother and have him executed by his own hands.

The curly haired man sighed while he tossed the blanket aside and got out of bed. Carefully and quietly, he left his room and made his way to the bathroom. Axel closed the door behind him and turned on the lamp before turning on the sink. Once the water was running, he cupped his hands under it and splashed the water toward his face. Doing this helped clear his mind a bit, but it didn't seem to work this time.

After splashing his face a few times, Axel turned off the sink and dried his face before exiting the bathroom, turning the lamp off as he left. The hallways of this mansion were almost pitch black. He couldn't make out a single thing in this darkness. It didn't help that this mansion was enormous. He probably wasn't going to be able to find my room anymore.

Placing a palm against the wall, Axel carefully walked through the halls, being cautious not to run into anything and accidentally break something expensive. As he was about to turn the corner, he felt something, or rather someone, bump into his chest. Startled, Axel stumbled back a few steps while the person squeaked in surprise. Next thing he knew, the curtains that hung from a nearby window were opened, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the dark in this mansion. He was now able to see who had bumped into him and it was a rather strange encounter.

"Axel? What are you doing up so late?" Maya asked as she tied the curtain back to prevent it from closing.

"I was just... coming from the bathroom," he lied, rather not saying why he woke up in the first place. "I couldn't make out a thing, so I sort of got lost here, haha."

Maya's quizzical look melted into one of doubt. Axel was never a good liar to begin with, so she probably already read him like an open book.

"I know you're lying," she stated sternly. "Why are you really up, huh?"

The curly haired man sighed in defeat and told her the real reason, "Bad dream."

Her hardened exterior softened as she flashed him a sympathetic look. Axel kept his gaze onto the floor beneath him, bits and pieces from that memory flashing before his eyes. He could still remember his face, his brother's emotionless face. Just thinking about it made his blood boil as his hand tightened into shaky fists.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Maya offered.

Axel's anger subsided as his gaze returned to meet Maya's kind eyes. He hadn't talked about that subject in a very long time, nor did he believe he was ready to open up about it anyway. No one knew of his past, only his brother's slandered name was known throughout this nation. No one knew they were related by blood, and quite frankly Axel would like to keep it like that. He didn't want anything to do with that traitorous brother of his.

Maybe it would be a good thing to let some steam out about his brother, but he was not sure if Maya was the right person to tell this tale to. Axel's impression of her wasn't a bad one, far from it actually. She's warm, kind, and something about her just made him feel relaxed. He hesitated, but it probably wouldn't hurt to talk about it just a little bit.

"Okay." Axel nodded. "Is there a place we can talk privately?"

"I know just the place." Maya winked.

* * *

The place Maya led Axel to was absolutely beautiful. He didn't know she owned such a beautiful sight, much less one that's right behind her mansion. Perhaps this was one of the perks of being a representative. The two of them sat on a concrete bench in front of a somewhat vast lake that reflected the illuminating moon. The grass around them had patches of a variety of flowers and plants and vines that hung from trees were also blooming wild flowers.

Something about this place made him feel relaxed. Whether it was because this place was peaceful and quiet, or because Maya had brought about that atmosphere, he felt relaxed and safe. A reluctant sigh escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his black locks of hair. Axel felt Maya looking at him with curiosity.

"If you're not up for talking, then it's completely—"

"It's not that, believe me," he interrupted her. "It's just... I haven't talked about it in a long time."

"I see," she mumbled, nodding in understanding. "I know the feeling all too well."

Now it was his turn to give her a curious look. What did she mean when she said she knew the feeling all too well? Did she experience a similar situation where she felt melancholy once recalling a certain memory? Did she go through the same pain of sadness and sorrow he did?

"You see," she started. "Earlier today, when I mentioned how I became the representative of Viridian Village, it was the first time I had ever brought up my grandfather's death ever since the day of his funeral."

"Really?" Axel asked, to which she nodded sadly in confirmation.

"I've always looked up to my grandfather ever since I was a little girl." Maya smiled slightly, but her eyes seemed to reflect grief. "I remember always wanting to grow up and be just like him. He represented everything I wished to be when I become an adult. I could say I met that goal halfway, but not completely. Before I knew it, my goal was shattered when I found my grandfather lying dead in his own office, his body surrounded in a pool of his own blood."

"Your grandfather was killed then?" he asked, slightly bewildered.

"That's right," she confirmed, one of her hands beginning to quiver. "Some fugitive broke into his mansion and assassinated him. Even to this day, we have no idea who the assassin is. Everyone in this village adored my grandfather, so they've been keeping an eye out for that fugitive ever since."

Axel was at a loss for words. The one person she looked up to and loved with all her heart was dragged down to the dark abyss of death by a no good fugitive. He could tell that it certainly had a harsh impact on Maya, and honestly who could blame her? He certainly couldn't because he could relate as well. Even if he did bear hatred for his older brother in his heart, Axel still bore sadness whenever he thought about his parents and his baby sister.

His father, his mother, Sayo... what cruel fate it was for them to be killed by the hands of their own kin. Sayo was only four years old when her life was ended by her oldest brother. She could've grown up to be such an amazing woman with a wonderful husband and lovely children. She had a bright future for herself, but now she couldn't have it at all. All thanks to their disgraceful older brother.

"My older brother killed my family," Axel blurted out, his eyes hardening as his dark fringe covered them. Maya snapped out of her depressed trance and gave me a shocked look.

"What?!" she exclaimed, bewildered beyond expression.

"I was out hunting for our next stock of meat for the week. It was a dark night when I was making my way home after a day of hunting. While I walked through a thick forest, I saw this flash of orange and yellow illuminate the sky, followed by dark ash rising. It was coming from the direction I was heading to, which was my house," Axel explained, taking another deep breath. Maya was looking at him intently, waiting to hear what happened next. "Worried, I dropped my weapon and meat and ran as fast as my legs could manage. Once I arrived, my entire house was on fire and standing right in front of it was my older brother. When he looked at me with those cold grey eyes, a shiver ran down my spine. He told me he killed our parents and little sister. When he explained why he killed them, I was consumed with anger and shouted at him that I hate him. Then he left, never once looking back."

An uneasy breath was released from her mouth while he narrowed his eyes at the clear water in front of him. Now he remembered why he never talked about what happened on that day. It only fed the anger he held for his older brother, anger that could someday blow up if he ever saw his traitorous face.

"Since that day..." Axel gulped, his hand tightening itself around his other hand. "I've felt nothing but burning hatred for my traitorous brother, but I've also felt grief and sorrow for Mother, Father, and my little sister."

"You had a younger sister as well?" Maya asked, earning a nod as an answer.

"Her name was Sayo Rosario," he recalled, a ghostly smile playing at his lips. "She was always full of adrenaline and could manage to make a lot of people smile with her giggles. Sayo never once cried about anything, but would be more curious about everything. She was only four years old when she was killed by him."

His smile dropped into a sad frown as an image of his baby sister flashed before his eyes. When she was born, Axel swore to himself he'd protect her from harm, but he failed miserably.

"Sayo had a bright future ahead of her. She would've grown up to be a beautiful woman, married to a man she loved dearly, and become a mother to a beautiful child or two. But now..." Axel's gaze dropped to his lap as his fringe once again covered his eyes. "Now she can't have it."

Axel loved Sayo with all his heart and it really broke his heart when he saw her corpse after the fire was put out. He failed as an older brother to her, and he failed his parents to be the strong child they envisioned him to be. He missed them so much.

A hand was placed on Axel's shoulder, causing him to look up and see Maya's golden eyes looking at him with a warm, sympathetic look. Those eyes made his heart stop from breaking. Once he made eye contact with Maya's eyes, he felt himself calm down.

"You understand the feeling for grief and sorrow as well as I do. I lost my grandfather and you lost your little sister, both killed for reasons unjustly. We share the same pain, the same dark memory. However..."

A soft smile graced Maya's lips, her hand finding its way into the side of his face. Axel could feel heat rushing to his cheeks as he continued to stare into her kind eyes.

"Our past gave us a reason to become who we are today. You now have a cause to live, for both your parents and little sister. Live the life your little sister didn't have to opportunity to live. I'm sure she's thanking you up in the heavens for not giving up."

Calm was the one word that reflected how Axel felt as Maya said those words to him. How she managed to make him feel that way, he had no clue. All he knew was that he never expected to talk about that memory with _her_ of all people. He had been reluctant to tell anybody of what happened. However, he was glad he did because talking about it really helped him in more ways than one.

Unconsciously, Axel placed one of his hands on top of hers and removed it from his cheek. He held her hand, feeling some strange spark as he gently let it down. A smile made its way onto his face, a smile that was caused by her.

"Thank you, Maya." I smiled. "Really, you've helped me."

"No problem," she replied, a dust of pink appearing across her cheeks.

Axel wondered what that's about.

Abruptly, she stood up on her feet, her hand that he held now free from his hold. He followed and stood up himself.

"We should go get some sleep, don't you think?" she suggested.

"Yeah."

The two of them left the backyard and returned to the mansion. Just as expected, everyone was still sleeping soundly. Axel walked Maya back to her room and bid her goodnight before returning to his own room.

 _Mother, Father, Sayo... if you're hearing me right now, I promise to you all that I'll not just live for myself, but for you as well. Sayo, you're Big Brother will live your life for you and I promise not to disappoint you._


	28. Back To Back (Part I)

Of all things, why did this have to happen?

They came here to Viridian Village in hopes of gathering more insight about the foreign military creating tension between allies. Along the way, they happen to stumble upon Soul's childhood best friend who also happened to be the representative of this village. She and Soul filled the gap of their friendship after she disappeared for almost eight years. For once, Soul's worries were calm, tricking her into thinking that nothing could go wrong. She really thought that after everything that's happened on this journey, it would all be over by now.

Boy was she wrong, because she found out there really was a calm before the storm.

 ** _ **Hours Earlier**_**

"Soul, may I have a word?"

The blonde woman cursed mentally when she heard Aaron's voice ask that dreaded question, especially this early in the morning. She had a feeling he wanted to talk about why she left out that this place was once her home. It wasn't his fault for being curious, but she just hoped he'd leave it alone for now. Bittersweet memories were made here, which led to what happened on that failed mission of hers.

Soul turned around and faced the navy haired man, giving him a nod. The one thing she found herself liking about Maya's mansion was how big it was. Since there were no signs of anyone being around here, it didn't bother her so much to have this discussion.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Don't you think it would've been nice to know that you were from Viridian Village?" he questioned in a scolding manner. His eyes softened when he saw the guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine..." Soul sighed. "I just didn't want to talk about it."

"Would this have to do with your mother's disappearance?" Aaron asked.

He knew he hit the nail when she hesitantly nodded. Perhaps he could've phrased that question better, but it was better than referring it as her mother's murder. That failed mission of Soul's involved her poor mother and a sick and twisted demon who ripped her away from her family. He couldn't blame Soul for being hesitant about being here.

"I miss her a lot." Soul took a deep breath. "It's just unbelievable that it all started in the village: her home. She... Mother didn't deserve such cruel fate. That's why when that bastard slipped through my fingers during that mission I—"

Soul stopped her rambling when Aaron pulled her into a tight embrace. Her green eyes widened at his sudden action that she couldn't form her words properly. The navy haired man held her tightly, trying to comfort her like he did when she failed that mission.

"You did all you could, Soul. What that bastard did was unforgivable, and may Arceus damn his spirit into the depths of the Distortion World. But please, don't punish yourself for what happened. No one could've known how it would've turned out."

His words reminded Soul of something similar the first time he comforted her like this. Aaron remained true to his word and was there for her even through the toughest of times. He was someone who she could count on when she needed him.

How lucky was she to have met someone like him?

Soul immediately wrapped her arms around Aaron and returned the embrace, the feeling of comfort well within her heart. The warmth she felt in the embrace was one she found herself loving the most.

* * *

While everyone else were doing their own thing after eating breakfast, Maya and Soul were talking in private. The blonde woman decided to get the information the squadron came here for on her own as opposed to having the rest of the team here. It may have added a bit of pressure to Maya if they were all present. While she spoke with her, Soul left Aaron in charge of watching over everyone else. She knew she could trust him to lead the group while they explore more of Viridian Village.

Soul sat in front of Maya, who sat opposite of her behind her desk. The brunette woman sorted through the papers she wanted her best friend to look at. Her eyebrows would furrow every now and then as she did so. After a moment or so, she perked up as she pulled out a small packet of paper from each file she held in her hand. Maya placed them in front of Soul and put the rest of the papers away in her cabinet. The blonde woman reached over and grabbed them, looking through each report carefully in hopes of finding some clue about these strange occurrences.

"Those are all I have regarding the case you informed me about," she reported. "I'm sorry if they're not what you're looking for."

As she looked through the reports, Soul noticed that after the fights, both of them would end up missing the next day. Based on what was on here, they were never seen again after that. She could tell most of the villagers assumed they left, which was why the missing people have been dismissed. However, Soul had a feeling there was more to it.

But what?

"These reports all say that the foreign knights who fought all disappeared," Soul noted. "I've never encountered such event in other areas I've been assigned to investigate. What do you have to say about it, Maya?"

"I do find it strange that they would disappear the day after," she admitted, a thoughtful look in her golden eyes. "Which is why I dispatched a group of knights to investigate it right away."

"I see," the blonde woman mumbled, still looking through the reports. "Did they find anything?"

"Unfortunately no, they did not. The unsettling part is that they didn't find a trace, as if they disappeared from the face of the earth completely."

Soul's eyes widened in surprise as she removed her attention from the reports and onto Maya's worried face. That's definitely unsettling, scary as a matter of fact. This was the first time anything like this has happened.

"Was it just the knights or also any foreign civilian?" Soul investigated.

"The majority of the missing people are knights from the two foreign military that have been spotted around Kanto. The small percentage are foreign civilians, which isn't much but..."

And it's true; all the proof needed were in these documents. Eyewitness reports say that neighbors and coworkers had disappeared out of the blue. It also read that they were never seen since then. Why had this happened? What in the world was going on around here?

Something like this would never happen in Viridian Village, so what could have caused all of this?

"Looks like we've got another mess in our hands." Soul sighed, putting down the papers that were in her hands. "And here I thought we could catch a break for once."

"I'm sorry about this, Soul." Maya flashed her an apologetic look. "Maybe if I were a better leader to everyone, none of this would've happened. Grandfather made a mistake putting me in charge..."

"That's not true!" Soul exclaimed. The one flaw she noted about her best friend was her doubting herself whenever a situation came up. She always blamed whatever happened on herself, which sometimes irritated the blonde woman as a child.

"Your grandfather put you in charge because he knew you had the potential to keep peace in the village he loved so much. He knew you loved this village with all your heart and that you'd do whatever it took to keep that peace. Don't blame yourself for what's happened because it wasn't your fault," Soul scolded her.

Maya's eyes widened in surprise, taking in everything she heard. It wouldn't be the first time Soul scolded her like that. When they were kids, Soul would always scold Maya for blaming herself on everything. She could remember the time she fell in a river while she was chasing a Squirtle. Maya helped her get out of the river while apologizing to her, saying that she should've stopped her before she got herself hurt.

It was a habit of hers that made her appear weak to the eyes of others, but to Soul it didn't. Yes, it may be a flaw, but that's what made her human. Her features softened as she gave Maya a soft smile.

"Whatever is going on around here, we'll figure it out. Someone or something out there is responsible for these disappearances and we'll catch them. That's what I'm here for," the blonde woman assured, giving her a confident smile.

Maya relaxed and nodded her head, flashing Soul one of her signature smiles. She hadn't seen that smile in a very long time. She was kind of glad she got to see it again after so long.

"You still scold me even as an adult." She laughed. "It makes me miss the old days when we were still very close."

"Indeed," Soul agreed, her smile faltering once she remembered something. "It's my fault. I'm the one who put the gap in our friendship."

"You're here now, and that's all that matters!" she beamed, making Soul smile brightly again.

A knock at the door caused them to turn toward that direction. Soul stood up from the chair she sat and walked over to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it, pulling it open. Jane stood their with her neutral facial expression.

"I'm sorry to disturb you two," she apologized, adding a bow afterwards.

"It's no problem." Soul shrugged, opening the door wider for her to enter. "Come in."

Jane nodded and entered Maya's office without another word. The blonde woman closed the door behind her and followed her to Maya's desk. She stood next to Jane, waiting patiently for her to state her business.

"Lady Delevingne, there's a guest waiting for you outside. She said it's urgent that you meet her right away," Jane informed, her voice somewhat stern.

"Oh, I-I see..." Maya stammered and hastily stood from her seat. "I'm sorry, Soul, but you have to excuse me for just one moment."

"It's no trouble, go ahead," the blonde woman assured, even though she was a little disturbed by the brunette's sudden change in attitude.

Maya nodded her head and her and Jane left the office almost in a rush. Before she left, Soul was able to pick up a rather unusual change of aura radiating from Maya's central core. Her usual kind aura had shifted from some form of disturbance, almost resembling fear. Something about it just didn't sit right with the aura guardian. As weak as she may appear, Maya wasn't easy to scare.

Something was definitely wrong around here and Soul was going to find out what it was.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Maya came back from attending to that guest she had. She looked a bit pale and her eyes clearly reflect fear. Before Soul got the chance to ask her if everything was alright, the brunette walked past her and went to the cabinet that was behind her desk. She shuffled through the drawers rather roughly, some items occasionally falling around her. The longer she took, the more rough she became.

"Come on come on come on..." she mumbled in a panicked voice.

Soul knew something was up; that feeling never went away. While she was gone, the blonde woman looked around and tried to find out anything that could justify what was going on. Her findings weren't limited to just Maya's office, but also any other rooms she hasn't been in. She even used part of her sixth sense to see if she could detect anything unusual. As an aura guardian, the sixth sense worked as a third eye.

The blonde woman had detected something strange in the basement of this mansion. No, strange was an understatement. It was a dark and peculiar essence she detected. Sadly, she couldn't access the basement without a key. Before Soul had the chance to find it, Maya had already returned.

"Everything alright?" Soul asked nonchalantly.

"O-Oh yeah... e-everything is great...!" Maya forced her enthusiasm, still searching through the cabinets. By this point, the office started to look messy.

"Really?" Soul questioned. "Because your aura tells me otherwise."

At Soul's last statement, Maya froze in her place. She slowly turned around and looked at the blonde woman wide eyed, as if she'd been caught doing something very wrong. It's the same way a child would look at their parent for doing something they weren't suppose to do.

"Maya, tell me the truth. Just what exactly is going on?" Soul questioned in a demanding voice.

Slowly, the brunette completely turned around and faced her childhood friend. The growing fear was radiating from her. Maya's mouth slowly opened and closed, as if her hesitation was preventing her from speaking to the blonde woman. Soul's eyes narrowed as she took a step closer to Maya, causing her to flinch.

"Answer me!" Soul demanded with a strict voice.

Before anything could happen, the door behind her opened. Soul turned around, her strict exterior never leaving. Once again, Jane stood there at the door. Her face was still somewhat emotionless, but that small speck of anger never left her sight.

"I heard yelling, so I came to see what was going on," she explained. "Is everything alright?"

Soul closed her eyes and gritted her teeth to calm herself before she did anything stupid. One wrong move and she could certainly get arrested for threatening a figurehead. Even if Maya was still a friend, she's still had power over the aura guardian. Soul took a deep breath before replying.

"Just dandy," the blonde woman answered.

"Miss Fraverden, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to—"

"No, Jane," Maya spoke up, surprising both Jane and Soul. "It's about time she learns the secret we've been hiding. After all, that's what _she_ wants, right?"

Jane's eyes widened in surprise, but nodded her head regardless. Meanwhile, Soul was standing there still confused as to what was happening. Why did Maya's voice suddenly change from her usual kind and assuring tone? The blonde woman looked back at the brunette, who avoided her gaze as she walked over to her.

"Follow me and you'll know everything."

Without another word, she left the office with Jane following behind. Shaking out of her state of surprise, Soul immediately went and rushed to catch up with them. They exited the mansion and entered the nearby forest. A sudden chill went down her spine as she sensed the cold wind pass by. That was strange, how did it get cold all of the sudden? It was only the evening and it's still the season of spring.

As the women walked deeper into the forest, the atmosphere around them started to become eerie and unsettling. Soul hugged herself to calm the sudden chill that came along. A mist began to form around them as they continued deeper into this forest, giving the eerie atmosphere a little more dark power that was enough to make her feel very uneasy. Soul's heartbeat sped up and she felt her hands beginning to shake a bit. Wherever Maya and Jane were taking her, she already knew it wasn't a good thing.

The two women suddenly stopped at an opening, causing Soul to come to a halt as well. The blonde woman looked around, but all she saw were trees surrounding them as well as the mist. Confusion clouded her judgement as she looked at Maya and Jane for an explanation. What the hell was going on here?

"Why did you bring me here?" Soul asked.

She received no response in return. Soul called out to them, but she still received no response. Annoyed, the blonde woman walked behind them and tried to shake them, but before she did, Jane suddenly spoke.

"We've brought her just like you asked," she spoke with her voice flat.

"Excellent, looks like I can do my job a whole lot easier."

Next thing Soul knew, the ground beneath her started to shake. Cracks became embedded underneath the grassy earth, but what caught her off guard was the magenta hue of light that seeped through them. Suddenly, black roots grew from the cracks and wrapped themselves around her feet, slowly making their way up to her legs. Before Soul could reach for her sword, more of those black roots caught her wrists and bound them above her head. This strange energy felt familiar to her; it was the same one she sensed back at Maya's mansion.

The mist cleared up revealing Maya, Jane, and another person. Soul's eyes widened as she sensed the new woman's unnatural aura that radiated from her. No person should possess such evil and such wickedness; it was very disgusting. The woman who stood between Maya and Jane took a few steps toward Soul, allowing the aura guardian to take a better look at her. Pale lavender eyes that shined with insanity were the first feature she noticed about the woman, eyes that belonged to a witch.

Her dark silver hair was tied up into twin tails with black ribbons. She wore a grey cloak over her black dress. A necklace hung from her neck, the magenta colored gem resting upon her chest. That necklace emitted such powerful dark energy, the same one Soul sensed earlier. It must be the source. A sickening grin made its way onto the woman's lips as she looked at Soul with those wicked eyes of hers.

"Nice to finally meet you, Soul Fraverden," she spoke with a sinister voice. "I've been waiting so long to meet the mighty female aura guardian in person."

"Who are you?!" Soul yelled, glaring at her.

"I'm Claire Ferguson," she introduced herself. "Remember it because it's the name of the person who kills you today."

Soul's glare intensified as she struggled to break herself free from these black vines. As she did, the blonde woman felt the grip tighten on her wrists and legs. A grunt left her lips as she struggled even more.

"Don't even bother such petty action." Claire waved off. "The more you struggle, the tighter those roots become."

Unfortunately, she was right. Hesitantly, Soul slowly stopped her struggling and just stayed there limply. The roots were already tightly bound to her wrists and legs. She could feel the rough bark making indents on the surface of her skin. She could see now that the necklace that adorned Claire's neck was responsible for this. Maybe if she could increase some of her aura into her hands and wrists, Soul could most likely get out of this.

How did she not think of this before?

Soul shut her eyes and solely focused on concentrating her aura into one single place. She felt the power making its way through her arms and up to her wrists. However, before it could reach its peek, the black roots glowed an eerie magenta color. Suddenly, a strong surge of dark energy engulfed her body and in no time, electrocuted her.

A scream left her lips as the dark voltage surged through her body. Soul's eyes were wide with shock, but she tried her best to not show any pain. It was hard to do because of how painful it was. After a moment of pain that felt like forever, the electrocution stopped and the black vines no longer glowed that eerie magenta color. Soul's breaths were heavy and raspy as her right eye was pinched shut.

"What the... hell did... you do to me...?" the blonde woman questioned between breaths.

"Those roots are cursed. Whenever you try to counter it, the curse will activate and shock you with dark magic," Claire explained. "Unlike my previous pawns and fellow fugitives, I actually did my research on you."

"Fellow fugitives?" Soul questioned. "You're—"

"That's right." She smiled that wicked smile of hers. "I'm the one who lead them to disrupt your squadron's mission. Although, if I'm being honest with you right now, us fugitives of Johto did much worse than simply causing Kanto trouble."

Soul's eyes widened in shock. She had a feeling there was still one last person who was out here causing trouble, but never would she have expected someone like her. Wait, if she's associated with Cato Hann and Fabian Starke, then...

Her gaze traveled from Claire to Maya. The moment her sea green eyes made contact with her gold optics, she looked away. Soul was still able to see the shame that reflected in Maya's eyes. Did her best friend get herself involved in all of this?

"Maya... you knew about this...?" Soul asked incredulously.

"Of course she knew!" Claire answered, wrapping an arm around the brunette. "She works for me."

No way.

There's just no way someone as kind as her would work for a witch like Claire.

"Maya, is this true?" Soul asked, her voice wavering from what she hoped wasn't true.

"I..." Maya hesitated before closing her eyes. "Yes, Claire is my boss."

 _Maya... why?_

"Why... how could you do something like this?!" Soul shouted, her eyes brimming with tears. "How could you?!"

Her best friend, the person she held dear to her heart, she betrayed all of them. The woman betrayed her. Seeing her after all these years made Soul happy again. They were able to fill the gap between their friendship. They were close, just like how they were when they were kids.

But now...

It felt like she had been stabbed in the back by the person she once knew. Maya had been back to back between the enemy and friend. A tear rolled down Soul's cheek, her gaze going from a shamed Maya to the dark grass beneath her. Her tears fell onto the grass as more of them left her eyes.

"Aw, how tragic!" Claire commented in a sarcastic and dramatic voice. "So sad!"

Soul had enough of that witch already. She rose her head and glared harshly at Claire through her tears. It was all her fault this happened. She knew Maya all too well and she would never willingly work for her. She just knew it.

Claire began to walk closer to Soul, a dagger with a black blade in her hand. It radiated the same magenta glow that the black roots did. Soul couldn't get out of this, not even her aura power could help her this time. The closer Claire walked toward her, the more she feared for her life. It was a strange sensation coursing through her body and she absolutely hated it. The silver haired woman pointed the dagger at Soul, which made the black blade radiate a stronger force that felt like fire.

She was done for.

Soul pinched her eyes shut, waiting for Claire to just end it. Even with her eyes closed, the blonde woman could still see the faint outline of the dagger, which was now thrown at her. It was aimed for her heart. Claire wanted to kill her instantly? How thoughtful.

As Soul waited for the dagger to impale her chest, it never did. The dagger was thrown at her, but it never hit her. Curiously, the blonde woman opened one eye, then both eyes when she saw that familiar blue force field. A small smile made its way onto her face when her eyes landed on the Pokémon who created it.

"Looks like we came here just in time." Gallade smirked.

"Sorry we took so long, Major. We were kind of held up."

Soul turned her head to the left and saw all of the squadron there. They all seemed ready to fight, their aura radiating fierceness and confidence.

"Just give us your orders, Major," Blake told her, holding his sword in a defensive stance.

She was grateful that everyone came just in the nick of time. There was no doubt that she could have died moments ago if they didn't. A knowing smile formed on Soul's lips as her eyes burned with determination. Even in her predicament, the blonde woman was still able to give out orders, and boy was she going to make sure her knights did it.

"Your orders are to kill Claire Ferguson!"


	29. Back To Back (Part II)

Right when Soul gave them the word, the squadron rushed into action right away. However, it seemed like the enemy had other plans for them. Claire performed a hand sign while chanting something that sounded like a spell. In an instant, the grassy ground rippled with a magenta hue. The strange event caused the knights to halt immediately.

Strange figures began to rise from the ripples. Through their eerie presence, the resemblance appeared to be of human beings, only they were surrounded by dark energy. Some resembled humans while others resembled Pokémon. The only thing they all had in common were their pair of glowing scarlet eyes that sent an unsettling chill down the living human's spine. It was as if they were witnessing the night of the living dead.

Axel's eyes widened in shock as he looked back at the lavender eyed woman who Soul ordered them to kill: Claire Ferguson. Her signature wicked smile was plastered on her face while her pastel eyes twinkled with insanity. What kind of sick person was she? Claire pointed their way and gave her command to the spirit-like entities that rose from the ground.

"Attack!"

"Everyone, scatter!"

Just as told, every member of the squadron split up and fought off those things immediately. The moment they separated, those entities came after them. They were equipped with some sort of makeshift sword that glowed the same magenta color from earlier. The living and the dead sparred against each other with all they had. Even if the living didn't have a clue as to what those entities really were, they must fight no matter what.

If they give up, Soul might just get killed.

One of the soulless entities rushed at Axel with an inhuman battle cry. Once it came closer to him, the curly haired knight immediately swung his sword at it, striking it right across the torso. As it fell back, magenta colored streams of light shot out from the wound he created. Once it all left the body, the dark energy that surrounded it slowly disappeared. What Axel saw next took him completely by surprise.

The entity he defeated was most definitely human and he wore an old and scratched up armor that bore the Creation Trio on the chest plate, some of it chipped off from old age. Axel's eyes narrowed as he removed his gaze from the corpse and scanned the rest of them that surrounded him. They all stared back at the curly haired knight with those eerie glowing scarlet eyes. Were they all like the last entity he killed just now? What the hell happened to them?

With one strike to their body, they suddenly collapsed and the dark energy revealed who they were. Based on what Axel just witnessed, they had no signs of living. His eyes widened once he came upon a very disturbing theory. He took a quick glance at Claire, who was watching the squadron with amused eyes. That woman was definitely not like the other bad guys they've faced before.

Could she possibly have the ability to reanimate the deceased?

No, what was he thinking? That's too surreal even for her. Bringing back someone from the dead was not possible. It would be crossing boundaries between the living and dead. That would be messing with Arceus's territory.

Axel's train of thought came to a halt when another one of those entities ran toward him, followed by another two. He gritted his teeth before quickly whistling to signal his partner of their battle formation. Stopping them may be easier than expected, but it was meaningless if he's overwhelmed. As one of them jumped at him ferociously, Axel quickly jammed his sword into their neck. The magenta light emitted from the place he struck, blinding him momentarily.

The curly haired knight stumbled back and rubbed his eyes, trying to regain his sight. Blinking a few times, his somewhat blurry vision allowed him to see the dark energy fading and revealing another corpse. This time, it revealed a woman. Axel's vision became clear, allowing him to see some peculiar mark tattooed on the palm of her hand. These things fighting them weren't just knights, but also civilians.

Just what the hell was going on here? Was this some sick and twisted nightmare?

A familiar inhuman battle cry came from behind Axel, causing him to freeze. He couldn't move, almost as if he was paralyzed from fear. It must have been from hearing such an atrocious sound. How come it had no effect on him the first time? Why now?

An eerie presence made itself known behind him. Axel couldn't bring himself to see who or what was going to end him right here and now. He pinched his eyes shut, preparing himself for what was to come, but it never did. Opening his eyes again, Axel was able to find his sense of movement. He turned around and found Houndoom biting down hard on the neck of a Pokémon-shaped entity.

The curly haired knight tightened his grip on his sword and immediately impaled the entity as hard as he could. Once again, the magenta light emitted from the wound and the dark energy faded away. It revealed a Pokémon that was large in size and a sickening purple color— a Nidoking without a doubt. The Nidoking corpse also wore faded and chipped armor. Axel was right; it wasn't just people, but also Pokémon.

And there was no doubt the person responsible for all of this was Claire. After all, it seemed like she was the only one capable of this considering she was able to apprehend Soul.

"Take them all down, my undead army!" Claire shouted with sickening delight. "Make them feel the pain that was passed onto you when you were alive. Make them suffer!"

Upon hearing her, the population of entities that were still left seemed to have undergone some sort of trance. In an instant, the magenta colored light that radiated from them turned a dark red wine color. From there, they resumed the fight with the squadron. Two of them came at Axel, their makeshift swords glowing menacingly. Houndoom stood close by and waited for his master's command to attack.

Once they were close enough, Axel told Houndoom to charge along side him. As their swords clashed, he was overwhelmed with the sudden strength they possessed. His eyes widened in surprise as he jumped back considering he had no way of overpowering with the sudden difference in strength between them.

"Houndoom, get back!" Axel ordered.

The hellhound obeyed and jumped back just in time to avoid one of the entity's strikes. Its sword impaled the ground harshly, the blade half way buried. Apparently, it was buried to the point where the entity struggled to get it out. This was Axel's chance to strike right here and now.

"Houndoom, distract the other enemy while I take care of this one. It's vulnerable right now, so I must take this chance to hit it before it's too late," he explained to his partner.

Houndoom released a bark of agreement and used Extreme Speed to tackle the other opponent. Taking this window of opportunity, Axel dashed toward the struggling entity with his sword in hand. Before it knew what was happening, the sword impaled its chest, right through the heart. Once the dark energy faded away, it revealed a young boy who stared at Axel with blank green eyes. He couldn't have been older than thirteen.

Axel bit his lip as he looked away while he removed his sword from the young boy. He couldn't watch as he did this, or else he'd fill up with remorse. Once he heard his corpse drop to the ground, the curly haired knight closed his eyes and walked away. That young boy reminded him that all of these entities were once people and Pokémon; people and Pokémon who once breathed and walked on this Earth. They didn't deserve to be killed twice like this.

It was just too cruel, but there wasn't another choice. He only hoped that everyone was going to be okay.

Soul had never felt so helpless before in her life. Her own teammates were out there fighting to save her, their leader. Whatever magic Claire used to rise the deceased to the living world definitely overwhelmed them, but they were still fighting nonetheless. Aaron and Axel seemed to be holding up well with the assistance of their Pokémon. Blake and Arcanine were also doing okay.

However, Akira seemed to be struggling a bit. Her Lunatone seemed to be exhausted and Gallade was trying so hard to help Akira. It may have something to do with their typing. Gallade and Lunatone were half Psychic, so maybe the ghostly entities may be having an affect on them. Knowing those two, Soul had a feeling that they wouldn't give up regardless.

"Enjoying the show?"

Soul's eyes narrowed into a sharp glare the moment she turned her head and met those lavender eyes of that witch. Claire walked toward her with that same sickening grin plastered on her lips.

"I have nothing to say to you," Soul spat coldly.

"Why, I'm hurt you'd say something like that to me!" she mocked. "After everything I've done..."

"Are you ludicrous, or are you pretending to be?!" the blonde woman shouted. "You turned my best friend against me, you were the one behind all of this... Need I say more, you damn witch?!"

"You've said quite enough, Soul Fraverden." Claire glared right at her.

"What do you want from me anyway?" she questioned, keeping her glare sharp.

"Now that you've asked, I'm not the one that wants you. The general of the Johto Knights is the one that wants you. He gave me the assignment of finding and apprehending you. Once he's done using you, he ordered me to kill you," the witch explained.

"What does he want with me?"

"He didn't say much, but it does have something to do with you being an aura guardian. He has this theory that with your power, it is possible to summon Mew by force."

Again with this? Is that all they wanted from her? Her power in order to summon Mew?

She should have suspected something like this. After all, that was all they're after. The whereabouts of Mew were unknown to all humans, even the aura guardians. As a matter of fact, it's believed that Mew might possibly be just a myth and that it doesn't actually exist. Mew was only a tall tale told throughout the ages as an explanation to all miracles.

"Why are you people so caught up on something that isn't real?" Soul mumbled, keeping her gaze down.

"What are you talking about?" Claire sneered.

"How do you people even know if Mew is real? How do you people know Mew isn't a figment of your imagination? Have you people even witnessed Mew before?" she questioned, not once removing her gaze from the ground.

Cold hands wrapped themselves tightly around Soul's neck, taking her completely by surprise. Her whole neck was squeezed tightly like a Seviper would to its next meal. Her surprised green eyes made contact with Claire's glaring and troubled lavender eyes. However, something seemed strange about them. Almost as if there's a story behind what she lead on.

"Shut it! Of course Mew exists, it just has to!" Claire barked, her grip on Soul's neck getting tighter again.

The lack of oxygen was beginning to affect her breathing. With her hands bound to these roots, the blonde woman couldn't do anything except hope Claire would let go at some point.

"Mew is the whole reason this war is thriving. Johto must have that key before it's too late!" she shouted, sounding somewhat desperate. "I... I don't want another loved one getting killed without justice..."

Claire's grip around Soul's neck loosened and eventually she dropped her hand. The blonde woman coughed and wheezed as she tried to regain the oxygen that her lungs so desperately needed. Once she was able to catch her lost breaths, Soul looked back at Claire with a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

The silver haired woman gritted her teeth and balled her hands up into tight and shaky fists. She may have looked upset, but her eyes told a whole different story. They showed sorrow, rage, and fierceness.

"It's none of your business. All I'm going to say is that corruption is my enemy. Corruption ripped away my loved one, and if I fall toward that sick corruption, I won't be able to avenge them..." she mumbled angrily, one of her hands clutching the necklace she had on.

"I was gifted with this malicious power of mine for a reason. Arceus blessed me with it to use it for the sake of protection. That's why teamed up with Cato Hann and Fabian Stark before joining forces with the Johto Knights. I believe I can help them achieve our goal of bringing total order among the people."

The magenta gemstone that she held in her hand glowed that same eerie energy Soul sensed from those entities the silver haired woman summoned earlier. It's almost as if they shared the same essence of dark nature to keep up. Maybe Claire and that necklace were responsible for creating those entities. The gemstone glowed brighter the harder Claire clutched it. Could it be that the gemstone was using the silver haired woman's emotions to intensify its power?

Hold on.

If that necklace had power and Claire's emotions did power it up, then...

"Those entities," Soul spoke, her eyes filling with disbelief. "Are those..."

A sadistic grin formed on her lips, followed by a dark chuckle afterwards. Claire slowly let go of the gemstone and dropped her hand to the side. That same crazy twinkle from earlier reflected in her eyes.

"They all deserved it," she claimed. "Why should they have the privilege of being with their loved ones if I can't? They deserve the painful misery of death."

All of those entities her teammates fought were once people. They were once living human beings. They once walked on this planet alongside other people they bonded with.

Now they couldn't have that privilege anymore all because of one selfish witch.

A selfish, twisted, and disgusting witch!

Claire must be stopped right away. Her emotions had swallowed her whole and caused her to harm other people. If only Soul knew more about her, then maybe there was a chance to save her. However, she highly doubted the witch would listen to reason, especially if it came from the enemy.

And Maya...

She knew all this, yet she never once brought it up.

Maya had been avoiding Soul ever since she brought her out here. The blonde woman tried to get her to make eye contact, but she just turned the other way looking very ashamed. Soul wanted to forgive her, she really did, but part of her refused to give her a second chance. Part of her wanted her to disappear from the face of the planet for betraying her like this, yet part of her knew she would never do something so traitorous. She just wanted to know one thing.

Was this because she wasn't there for Maya when her grandfather died?

Was this punishment for abandoning an amazing friend like her?

The brunette woman was all alone after her grandfather passed away and she told Soul this morning that her older brother had set out to travel the world, no longer returning home. Maya had been on her own from then on. Soul should have came back at some point to see her again, but at the time, she wasn't allowed to stray away from training. From there, their friendship grew a gap that never seemed to stop widening. Soul was unsure if this was the way it was suppose to be or if her actions caused all of this.

All she knew was that the blame fell on her.

Defeating all of those entities was definitely tiring, but the squadron managed to take them all down. Axel and Houndoom were panting hard. Even if those entities were moving corpses, it didn't mean they didn't put up a hard fight. It seemed like the rest of her teammates felt the same way, especially Blake. He looked like he was about to pass out.

Axel motioned for Houndoom to follow him before he jogged toward Soul and Claire. His hand clutched the hilt of his sword just in case there were any surprises that witch may have set up while they were fighting her undead army. The curly haired knight saw his other teammates and their Pokémon running toward them as well. His eyes widened when he spotted a familiar brunette standing behind the witch herself.

What the hell was Maya doing here?

Axel gritted his teeth and pushed himself to run faster. If Maya got hurt, he didn't know what he'd do. The moment they were closing in on Claire, she immediately pulled something out from behind her back and pointed it at Soul's neck.

The knights came to an immediate halt once they saw Claire press a dagger against Soul's neck. It resembles the same dagger she threw at her when they showed up. Axel drew his sword out a bit from his scabbard, ready to pounce at the perfect time.

"One wrong move and your precious captain dies." She smirked.

"What do you want with her?!" Aaron yelled, fury clear in his voice.

"That's none of your business. You can easily surrender and walk away with your lives intact, or rush into your own death."

"As if we're going to abandon our leader just for the sake of our lives!" Akira yelled, glaring daggers at Claire.

"There's a saying that all knights live by during a time of battle: no man— er, _woman_ left behind!" Blake claimed, losing confidence toward the end.

Honestly, his choice of words were definitely... _wrong_.

Soul made a mental note to punish him later after all this blew over. As he kept himself cautious, Axel noticed Maya hadn't tried to move away from Claire. Also, Jane seemed to have disappeared. She was nowhere to be seen.

Maya glanced at Axel, capturing his eyes with her gold optics. She looked surprise, but her facial features then melted into one of shame and helplessness before looking away. He couldn't help but be worried about her. What's going on with her?

"You all refuse to leave then?" Claire chuckled humorlessly. "Fine, then let's see you go up against my trump card."

Quickly, she performed a few hand signs. The ground in front of them distorted with magenta colored ripples before a figure started rising. The dark energy surrounding it faded a bit, revealing its features.

Words couldn't describe how shocked Axel was to see who rose from the dead.

Just like the other entities, this one was also once human. It was a man who was older than him, no doubt. His curly black locks reached his shoulders, a small cowlick stubbornly standing against the rest of his hair. Those usually cool grey eyes were now completely soulless, like a void of nothingness. He wore a black kimono top that was tied with a grey belt, dark grey trousers, and standard black shoes. His ankles were wrapped with bandages and he also had a sheathed samurai sword hanging from his belt.

This trump card Claire summoned was Axel's older brother.


	30. Back To Back (Part III)

"Kazuma...?"

All eyes were now on a very unstable Axel, who stared incredulously at the entity before him. This being, who was also Claire's trump card, was once Axel's older brother who slaughtered his own family. His name was Kazuma Rosario, the eldest son of his parents: Marcus and Malia Rosario. It was believed after the day his family was slaughtered, Kazuma had disappeared and stayed hidden in the shadows. He was like a ghost roaming the earth while hidden away from the rest of his kind.

Only now was he truly a spirit of the undead.

Claire smirked at the distressed Axel, enjoying every moment of this. It was as if watching his distress fed her sick and twisted amusement. However, even though she wouldn't admit it, Axel wore the exact same distressed and shocked look when her loved ones were killed right in front of her by corrupted sadists.

"Axel..." Akira mumbled as she gave him a disbelieving look. "How do you know—"

"He's my older brother," he growled, the endured rage within him beginning to rise to the surface. "He's my traitorous brother who killed our family!"

Upon hearing this, Maya's eyes widened when she saw how angry and furious Axel suddenly became. His entire figure quaked while his knuckles turned white because of how tightly he held his sword. The guilt within her rose quite a bit. It was bad enough she had to betray her own childhood friend, but now knowing that her boss was using Axel's own kin to kill him made her feel awful. He trusted her with his past, but what for?

She didn't even know.

If only she was given the chance, she would do almost anything to help. Maya never wanted any of this to happen. She never wanted to place innocent people in danger, but what's done was done.

 _They trusted me_ , she thought as she glanced at Soul and Axel.

"Kazuma Rosario, A-ranked criminal of the nation of Kanto," Claire introduced. "Charged for the murder of his own family, thievery, and many other assassinations. His head is worth six million gold coins."

"I should've known that name sounded familiar..." Blake thought out loud. "Duke Belray mentioned that one of his cousins were robbed of their most expensive artifacts by a man of that name."

"An A-ranked criminal is your final trump card?" Aaron scoffed. "You certainly have no shame in resorting to such tactics."

"Enough!" Axel shouted, causing everyone to flinch at the fury of his tone. "No one else is allowed to engage in battle with him but me!"

"But—"

"My life was ruined by him, my own brother. He's the whole reason my life had been so hard. I made it my goal to kill him as a consequence for all of the sins he's committed, all of the blood he's spilled," Axel fumed, glaring daggers at the man before him. He looked back at his teammates, his eyes clouded with rage and vengeance.

"If any of you get in my way, I'll take you down as well!"

Everyone, including Soul, were taken aback from what he said. They had no idea where all this anger came from, but all they knew was that he was very furious. Recovering from Axel's outburst, Blake glared at the curly haired knight. How could he say such a thing to his own teammates? The blond knight began to step toward Axel with a very angry look, but Aaron held his hand out to stop him.

"Let him be, Blake," he spoke calmly. "We'll only get in his way."

"... Tch, fine," Blake mumbled, still unhappy of what happened.

"Just by looking at them, you can tell there's definitely bad blood between the two," Akira observed, a worried expression etched on her face.

Maya couldn't help but agree with what she heard Akira say. Two brothers who shared the same blood shouldn't have this amount of hatred sparking between them. In this case, it seemed like Axel was the one who burned with hatred from Kazuma while the older brother did nothing but exist to only feed that anger. Despite all that's happened, they're still the only family they have. If one were to fall right before their eyes, would the other have felt remorse?

Then again, seeing Kazuma as Claire's undead pawn seemed to have ignited Axel's pent up anger.

"I've been waiting for this day for so long, Brother, you have no idea," Axel growled, eyes sharply glaring at Kazuma. Without warning, the curly haired knight rushed toward him with his sword ready to stab Kazuma's chest.

"Now I get the chance to finally kill you!"

Before his sword could get anywhere close to his opponent, Kazuma swiftly unsheathed his samurai sword and used it to block Axel's attack. Axel's eyes widened as the two were pushing each other with their blades, each one trying to overpower the other. Kazuma smirked a ghostly grin and shoved the weapon forward with all his force, causing Axel to be thrown back a few feet. The black haired knight was taken by surprise by the powerful strength his brother possessed. He wasn't this strong before, was he?

There's no way, his father forbade his brother from training with weaponry. If that's true, then why is he so damn strong? Could he have gone behind his back and trained without his parents' consent?

It would explain why he always disappeared in the afternoon and came back at night.

Still, just because his opponent had gotten stronger didn't mean Axel would give up. His whole life revolved around this day and there was no way he was going to blow it. Axel's Houndoom was about to go to his master's side, but the black haired knight put his hand out to stop him. When he said he wanted to defeat the enemy alone, he meant all on his own. This was his problem and his problem only; no one else should get involved.

Axel picked up his sword and once again charged at Kazuma. Just like before, Kazuma stayed still as he waited for his little brother to come at him. Once Axel was close enough, Kazuma swung his samurai sword at him, aiming for his neck. Axel took a side step before the sharp blade could get close to his neck and once again charged at his older brother. With a loud battle cry, Axel swung his sword at his brother.

The blade hacked halfway into Kazuma's right shoulder. Axel smirked at the injury he was able to inflict on his brother. He withdrew his sword from the deep gash, which now glowed a faint magenta color. Kazuma placed a hand on the gash for a second, as if trying to question if he's suppose to feel pain. Anyone would have fallen to their knees and cry out in pain at such a severe injury.

But Kazuma didn't.

He felt nothing.

Seeing as he didn't get the reaction he anticipated, Axel scowled and decided to charge at his brother again. If that didn't work, then maybe his next attack could do a whole lot more than just chop off part of his body. Kazuma deflected Axel's incoming sword with ease, his wound not bothering him one bit. Axel's irritation grew as he tried striking at his brother's vital spots, only for Kazuma to deflect them with his own samurai sword. As their blades clashed with each other, small sparks formed with how much strength both were forcing on their weapons.

Watching the two engaging in a fierce battle, it suddenly occurred to Akira this would be the perfect opportunity to take down Claire. The white haired woman nudged her two teammates. The two men looked at her with a quizzical look. Akira motioned toward Soul, who was still held captive by those cursed roots. Because Claire seemed more interested in the fight between Axel and Kazuma, this was their only opportunity to take her down and free their leader.

Understanding the situation, Aaron decided to take charge and lead his two teammates. Besides Soul and Axel, he knew how to conduct silent drill. The navy haired man motioned for Akira and Blake to follow him. Claire remained unaware of the three knights as she was very invested into the fight, a dark laugh coming out of her mouth whenever Axel got hurt by her trump card.

The only person who noticed them was Maya. She eyed them as they began a formation that would apprehend Claire right away. As much as she would like for them to take her down, Maya couldn't let that happen. She must remain loyal to her at all cost or else she'd pay for it with her life. Maya unsheathed a sharp dagger from the brown leather scabbard and waited for her opportunity to charge.

If she actually had a choice, she would have turned a blind eye and allowed the other knights to kill the wicked witch. Unfortunately for Maya, she was bound to her by fear. Gulping down the knot in her throat, Maya charged at Aaron with the dagger ready to attack.

It was too late for anyone to react. Maya was too close for anyone to do anything. Akira's eyes widened in surprise while Blake screamed out his superior's name. Soul witnessed it as well, for her eyes were wide with fear as tears formed on her waterline. Claire on the other hand, smirked as she turned her head to see what happened.

Aaron's wide eyes slowly trailed down to his side. Maya was breathing heavily, her hands shakily tightening on the hilt. She was scared, shocked even, that she had done such a brute act. The blade was penetrated into Aaron's abdomen, his scarlet blood now staining his clothes. Immediately, the brunette closed her eyes and pulled out the dagger, some blood sprinkling onto the ground.

"Oh, this is just too good." Claire chuckled. "Excellent job, Maya. You've finally taken your job seriously. I'm proud of you!"

Hysteric gasps escaped Maya's lips, her sanity beginning to decrease after she realized what she had done. Her shaky hands let go of the dagger and she fell to her knees, holding her head. The dagger landed right next to her, it's blade still tainted with its first victim's blood.

"I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it," she repeated over and over, pinching her eyes shut in order to avoid the scene before her.

Akira and Blake rushed to Aaron's side, catching him before he could completely fall. His hand covered the stab wound, but he could see his own blood didn't stop flowing out. They laid him on his back for him to rest. Akira took her handkerchief out of her pocket and pressed it over the wound, the white cloth beginning to turn scarlet upon contact. Soul turned her head away with her eyes shut, unable to continue watching.

 _I've never felt so damn useless. None of this should be happening. What made it worse was that my childhood best friend was the cause of it all._.. Soul thought in defeat.

* * *

Axel weakly stood up, his breaths becoming heavy and raspy. Kazuma was also weakened, but due to his form, his face remained emotionless. Still, his torso rose up and down from his labored breathing. It was clear that Kazuma's form wouldn't last for too long. Once this fight was over, he'd be nothing more than a motionless corpse.

At least that's what Axel wanted, and he'd make sure it happened. His parents and Sayo would be avenged on this day. There's no stopping his need for vengeance. Axel wanted his sword to kill the criminal traitor that was his brother. He'd never forgive himself if his sword wouldn't put an end to Kazuma's being.

With a heavy grunt, Axel got into a fighting stance. His body was screaming at him to stop, but his mind and will didn't allow him to quit. In his mind, Axel tried to calculate how to deliver the final blow to finally end this once and for all.

"Ready... aim... strike..." he mumble under his breath.

Kazuma looked at him with his completely empty grey eyes. During this fight, he hadn't felt a single thing. No pain, no memories, and no emotions. Before his death, he was nothing more than a criminal who was constantly on the run and doing whatever it took to get by in this world. He allowed others to use him as a pawn, and even in death, he's still a puppet to someone more powerful than him.

That's why he got himself killed by _her_.

Kazuma let his guard down around Claire, which was his biggest mistake ever. If only he hadn't faltered to her, he would've managed to escape from her grasp. Unfortunately for him, death was his price for falling right into the spider's web. Life for Kazuma might have been better if she didn't come into his life and mess everything up. Claire's infiltration to his life led to his inevitable downfall.

He couldn't get away from her, not even in death.

The pain he went through living on his own was bad enough. Whenever he recalled the memory of the day he slaughtered his family, his heart would twist in a painful way. Kazuma's ultimate sin had clung tightly to him everywhere he went from then on. It would drive his sanity even further and further, close to the breaking point. He lived a very hellish life, one he would willingly want to leave behind and start fresh.

Maybe if Axel were to take him down right here and now, his soul could finally be at rest. If Arceus was merciful, Kazuma may be reborn into another life that wouldn't force him to perform such atrocities once again. He'd be happy, along with the new family he'd have. He would protect them rather than cause them harm. Axel was the only person who could grant all of that.

With one forceful start, Axel charged at Kazuma with his sword behind him. He figured out what place he would strike and if it worked, then this battle would finally be over. Kazuma remained in place, still struggling to recover from all the injuries inflicted on him. His energy was beginning to fade away, the darkness around his figure beginning to slowly lift. The closer Axel got toward him, the less time he would have to spend bound by Claire's magic.

Axel released a loud but strained battle cry as he shoved his sword forward, aiming at the one place where life sustained the body. Many would see this feeble, but it's the only tactic he could come up with. It was impossible to kill someone twice, but stranger things have happened after today. The sound of cutting flesh reached everyone's ears. Kazuma's empty eyes widened in shock, but his soul was more than happy of what Axel did.

Axel's sword went through Kazuma's heart.

Time seemed to freeze as Kazuma slowly fell to his knees, his eyes struggling to stay open. Axel's hard look never left his brother's crumpled figure, not even when he removed the sword from the living corpse. As Kazuma's body fell to the ground, the dark energy around him lifted, revealing his true body. Axel finally did it, he finally avenged his family and those who he made suffer. He hoped to feel some sort of accomplishment, but something stopped him.

Kazuma's corpse had a grin etched onto his face.


	31. Mended Ties

Axel couldn't tear his eyes off of his older brother's unmoving corpse. Under any other circumstances, he would've turned away and never looked back. However, the moment his eyes landed on that smile of his deceased brother, that feeling of accomplishment and honor had stopped. A dead body shouldn't be smiling, especially if they were killed by their own kin. So why?

Why was his brother smiling?

That smile looked so pleased and his facial expression seemed so peaceful, as if he was freed from his cruel sins. The mark of death was tattooed on the side of his neck, the one that marked him as property of that witch. Axel got the feeling that something wrong was going on here. Kazuma shouldn't be smiling as a corpse; he shouldn't be happy to be dead.

But that smile on his dead form said otherwise.

Axel felt something tug at his heart and a heavy feeling fell in the pit of his stomach. Some sort of guilt was starting to jab at him, but why? Why would he feel guilty about defeating Kazuma? He's the whole reason the curly haired knight suffered so much. He's the reason his family died so unjustly.

His whole life revolved around Kazuma's entire being. Axel lived off of the desire for vengeance of his family. His only goal in life was to kill him just like how he killed their parents and Sayo. Yet, as he stare at Kazuma's peaceful unmoving body, Axel couldn't stop himself from feeling so...

Sad.

His hand unconsciously went to the left side of his chest, over where his heart was. His fingers scratched over the metal chest plate of his armor, forming into a fist. The guilt had finally reached his heart, but there's no way he was going to accept it. He refused to feel guilt for taking down Kazuma.

"Even after all he's done, you still feel bad about putting down your older brother?"

Axel's head snapped up only to see Claire walking toward him, a mocking grin ever so present on her pale face. He stood up straight, keeping his guard up just in case she tried anything on him. Axel may be damaged and his heart may be conflicted, but he wouldn't let her harm him. Claire stopped as she got closer to Kazuma's sprawled corpse and Axel's weakened self.

"I can't blame you if your emotions are wavering. After all, he was your older brother. In the end of the day, you're both related by blood. You just can't help but feel—"

"I have no regrets of killing my older brother," Axel spat, his voice dripping with anger. "He deserved it, all of it. If I dare feel regret about taking him down, I'm nothing more than a pathetic child who lets his emotions get in the way!"

"Oh, but you see..." Claire grinned that signature wicked smile. "You weren't the one who killed him— I did."

Axel's eyes widened in shock at her confession. He already knew Kazuma was dead, but never had he stopped to think about how his older brother died. Kazuma's cause of death never once crossed Axel's mind. His thirst for vengeance must have blinded him.

"What are you talking about?" Axel questioned Claire with a hard glare.

"I was the one who killed your brother," she clearly stated. "You see, you have yet to know of his full story. You think you know your brother so well, but you don't know the entire truth."

How could he not know about his older brother? As much as Axel didn't want to say it to her face, those two were bound by blood. He knew him as well as he knew himself. That traitor killed their family because he had a different philosophy than them. That had to be the only truth...

Right?

"You're kidding me!" Axel spat. The witch shook her head.

"I might as well tell you the whole thing, from beginning to end," she commented.

"I'm listening," he mumbled bitterly, keeping his hard glare on her.

"Fine." Clara nodded. "Ten years ago, a young man from a very strict family came into my master's temple. He came in begging for guidance about following his parents' moral standards and expectations. Just by looking into his eyes, you could tell he was breaking on the inside. My master noticed his desperate plea and allowed him to visit the temple every day until he felt that he's found assurance to his troubles. This young man was named Kazuma Rosario."

Never once did Axel's hard glare falter. He didn't give a damn if that traitor was breaking down from their parents' expectations of him. He was the oldest child of their family, plus the future successor of the family. Kazuma should have felt honored to be chosen for such a thing!

"Meanwhile, I was put in charge of training the new disciple physically. He may have been gifted with intelligence, but his weak physique made him too vulnerable for my master liking. I trained him to be stronger, to be able to fight back with his fists. With the marvelous amount of strength he gained within the two years that I trained him, Kazuma became the very definition of a God that everyone wanted to become. With both mind and muscle in his favor, Kazuma had the power to do whatever it was he pleased.

"Master said that the power he gained during his time at the temple had allowed him to answer his problems of living up to his parents' expectations. Now that he had it all, mind and body, there shouldn't be a reason as to why his parents would reject him. However, what my master and I thought would help him out had the complete opposite effect. His parents expected more from him because of the power he obtained. All that hard work he did for two years was a complete waste in his eyes.

"Gradually, he started breaking on the inside; just like how he was when he first came into our lives. All the young man wanted was to meet his parents' expectations, but it seemed that no matter what he did, it was never satisfying for them. I remember I found him near a lake, staring at his own reflection with eyes that questioned everything. At the time, I felt that someone as gifted as him didn't deserve to be pressured like that. I made sure I told him that because to me, Kazuma was unlike any other man out there.

"When I did, I hadn't realized how attached I had grown to him. His ambition and his determination had captivated me and I hadn't realized it until that day. When I told him how I felt, he said that he felt comfort. I knew that was a nicer way of saying he didn't feel the same way, but I didn't care because as long as he was happy, so was I. I loved him, regardless if he didn't feel the same way."

Before she could continue with the story, Axel brought his hand up to stop her. Something about this story didn't make much sense to him. If she really did love his older brother, then why did she kill him?

"You've made a contradictory statement there. If you truly loved my brother, then why kill him? Explain that to me!" Axel spat with impatience.

"Be patient." Claire scowled, clearly annoyed with him interrupting. "I'm still explaining everything."

"Nights later, my master had come to a very twisted conclusion about this circumstance. Kazuma was a man with a bright future and if even his own parents couldn't see that, then they didn't deserve to have such a successful child. He didn't deserve a family that was ungrateful to him. If his parents had such high standards for their oldest son, then it would only be obvious that his little brother and sister would be bound to that kind of fate as well. In order to prevent any more suffering to the rest of his family, my master ordered Kazuma to kill them.

"However, Kazuma greatly opposed the conclusion, saying that even if they did expect too much from him, they're still his parents. Plus, he would never live with himself if his little brother and sister got harmed because of him. It was only obvious to anyone that he wasn't going to change his mind any time soon. Master ordered me to put Kazuma into a hypnotic trance that would hide any emotions and have him go through any kind of order he was given. I didn't want to do something like that to Kazuma, but I was bound to my master and could never disobey his orders.

"And so, on that night, Kazuma Rosario killed his own family. I was lurking in the shadows to make sure he did what he was told to do. To my surprise, only one survivor made it out of that violent fire and it was none other than his little brother. I was going to jump in there and end his life, but that look of fear and confusion had stopped me. He was clueless as to why his big brother would do something so unforgivable.

"However, his confusion and fear turned into fury and the need for vengeance. I couldn't blame him, and so I decided to let the young boy live. Kazuma and I met up at the rendezvous point, which by that time the trance had worn off. When it did, he noticed the familiar location and the fire that took place. I stopped him from running there, earning me an incredulous look from him.

"When I explained everything to him, I swear to Arceus he was going to kill something. He was so furious, his grey eyes could have turned a bloody red. At the same time, he was relieved that at least his little brother made it out alive, but he looked broken when I told him the awful names his little brother called him. On that night, Kazuma disappeared and I never saw him again. Still, he told me something that I could never forget."

Axel gulped down a lump that had formed in his throat when he listened to the truth behind what had happened on that unfortunate night. Kazuma, his big brother, was under a trance when he did it. He was used as a puppet, and she helped him. What's worse was that he, that twisted master, ordered the assassination. Axel's grip on his sword tightened to the point where his knuckles turned white and his fists shook.

"What did Kazuma tell you?" he questioned, his heart conflicted with mixed emotions.

"He said he was going to avenge his family by taking Master's head to the grave. He also made it clear that he would never forgive me for not stopping him beforehand. The way he said it made me feel something I never was capable of feeling: fear. I was afraid of him and I knew he meant what he said. A few years later, Kazuma came back and had gotten what he wanted.

"When I came back to the temple after running an errand for my master, I found a flock of Murkrow circling around a dead body. I took a better look and was shocked beyond belief when I saw my master's brutally scourged corpse laying in a thick pool of blood. At that moment, I felt my own heart break because I knew who had done it. My master was the closest thing I had to a father, so seeing his corpse had caused me to break down. He saved me from the horrible slums back in Johto, he took me under his wing, he took me with him to travel the world, and he cared for me as if I were his own daughter.

"That is why I couldn't forgive Kazuma for what he did. The darkness within my heart manifested into something peculiar. It corresponded with the necklace my master gave me and the need to kill had etched itself into my brain. This darkness of mine changed my humanity, a change that grew and grew the longer my desire for murder stayed. Eventually, I was able to use my darkness into a weapon and Kazuma was my first victim."

A peculiar chuckle left her mouth, causing Axel to stay on edge. This tale of hers was really throwing him off, and he didn't like it one bit. He didn't care if he was just being in denial or if she was making him believe it by using her magic, but he hated it. Claire stopped chuckling, but that wicked smile never left her mouth.

"I spent so much time hunting down the bastard that killed my master. By this time, he was already considered a wanted criminal for the murder of three people. Everyone was out to get him, but I wanted him dead. One faithful night, I finally found him, but he looked different. He looked more mature, his eyes were void of emotion, and he seemed to have lost some of his muscle.

"When our eyes met, I no longer felt the love I felt for him long ago. My anger rose and my darkness once again possessed me. The power that obtained was far beyond to kill Kazuma and all it took was a simple hand sign. When I killed him, I felt nothing. I no longer cared for his existence and I no longer cared for him.

"Master was avenged and I was able to use Kazuma's corpse as a weapon as well."

Axel was unable to form so much as a word from his mouth. His eyes quivered with shock as his mouth was slightly agape, slow but short breaths leaving his mouth. He was being in denial earlier before, but now that he knew the whole truth, the whole story behind that night...

Kazuma...

He never did it on his own free will. He didn't know what he was doing. He was under a spell and had no control over what he did. Everything he had thought that night was based on a misunderstanding. Kazuma was innocent this whole time.

It was all _her_ fault.

Rage was all Axel felt as Claire's signature wicked grin widened at the sight. His anger rolled off his body in powerful waves that everyone could feel the heat of his fury. Everyone, especially Maya, were scared of the angry beast that stood before them.

 _Jane, please hurry back with that cursed box!_ Maya thought as she began to nibble at her nails.

Axel could no longer control himself, for he finally made a move and lunged at Claire with full force. He moved so fast, the witch didn't see him coming. Her lavender eyes widened when Axel's sword hilt rammed into her stomach. She coughed as her whole body was thrown back quite a few feet away, a few drops of scarlet blood leaving her mouth. Everyone was shocked at Axel's sudden strength.

His driving motives all came from the sudden burst of anger that pilled up once he learned the truth about his older brother. No one would be forgiven for what happened that night. Kazuma was a victim, just like the rest of his family who perished in an undeserving manner. Now that the one person who was part of it all stood right before him, he was going to end it. He was going to let it all out— all his pent up emotions— on the witch who was half of the cause.

 _His aura, it's so... angry_ , Soul thought as she looked at her comrade incredulously. How long had he kept all that anger within himself?

Akira still kept the handkerchief pressed against Aaron's stab wound, managing to stop the bleeding temporarily. If only she had her medical supplies with her, she would be able to treat the wound herself. At this point, it may be possible for an infection to make its way at the navy haired aura guardian. Blake stood in front of both his comrades protectively, just in case Claire and Axel's fight got too violent. He's the only one who could protect the team and he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Claire struggled to get up, but managed to do so. Her stomach was in great pain; it hurt to even move at all. The silver haired woman wiped away the blood that dripped from the corners of her mouth. She was still gasping for the air that was knocked out of her, but it was also very painful for her. A flash of silver made its way toward her. She moved out of the way before she could get injured again. Axel had rammed his sword into a tree behind her, making a huge dent on the bark.

Stumbling back, Claire regained her composure and performed a hand sign, muttering some strange language under her breath. The magenta gem on her necklace glowed as the ground rippled before cursed stems rose from the surface, all of them going after Axel. The curly haired knight gritted his teeth before running into them with a loud battle cry, his sword ready to slice through anything that gets in his way. Each root made an attempt to capture Axel, but they all ended up like shriveled weed that were picked out from a garden. Seeing that her spell that been futile, Claire used her second attempt to fight back.

The silver haired woman faced her palm right at Axel's figure and muttered something inaudible under her breath. This spell would work to at least knock him out, or so it should. Then again, this opponent of hers was turning out to be very unpredictable. No one had been able to counter her curse roots nor attack her with brute force. The outcome of this fight could go to either side.

A dark purple glow of energy radiated from Claire's palm. Axel wasted no time in going through the cursed roots, slicing them as if they were nothing but brittle old grass. Claire released a portion of that dark purple energy and aimed it at Axel. The knight was too occupied with the cursed roots that he didn't see the spell that was coming at him on time. His eyes widened before he was hit harshly with Claire's magic and thrown back.

Axel grunted in pain, feeling a burning sensation on his left shoulder. His vision began to go out of focus and he struggled to get back up. More roots rose from the ground and came at him. Despite his condition, Axel got back up with his sword in hand and charged forward. The burning pain increased, but Axel bit his tongue and focused at his goal in hand.

Kill Claire Ferguson.

Just like the first time, he charged straight into the roots and sliced through them like nothing. However, his movements seemed to be lethargic than before due to the spell that he was hit with. His somewhat blurry vision stayed the same, but now his eyelids started feeling heavy. His breaths were getting shorter and faster and a cold sweat ran down the side of his face. Based on those symptoms, he could conclude that Claire had used some sort of poisoning spell against him.

Meanwhile, Claire was very surprised to see that he was still up and running even though he had been hit with one of her lethal spells. She believed that she used a good enough amount to knock him out, maybe even kill him. However, seeing him continue to fight through the circumstances left her in awe. He was determined, fierce, and motivated. Those three things she had seen before in another person, and that person was Kazuma.

Of course, how could she be so foolish? They were brothers after all, so it would be natural to see a bit of Kazuma in Axel. Two brothers that shared the same blood, two brothers that did everything they could to avenge their fallen loved ones... it seemed as if Claire was watching a parallel of both brothers.

Claire had been too engrossed with her awestruck thought that she hadn't noticed Axel's sword impaled right through her chest. The necklace that adorned Claire's neck flashed and flickered its signature magenta hue while crimson blood seeped through her lips, trailing down her chin and dropping to the ground. Her eyes were wide, but her eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. Pain spread throughout her body, but she felt numb to it. Instead, she felt the need to sleep.

The cursed roots had retracted back down beneath the ground's surface. The ones that held Soul prisoner had let her go as they descended into the depths of the earth. Her body fell to the ground, but she quickly got to her feet and made her way to Akira, Blake, and Aaron. Soul knelt down next to Akira, who gave her a concerned look. The blonde woman then looked up at Axel, who had finally defeated the final fugitive from Johto who possibly sparked a war between two allies.

"He did it..." she mumbled under her breath.

Axel's fringe shadowed over his blank brown eyes as Claire's corpse slid off of her sword and landed on the ground with an audible thud. Her lavender eyes that sparked with malice and insanity were now empty and dull, her eyelids covering half of her eyes. A small puddle of blood formed beneath her body. Axel had finally gotten his revenge, but it still made him feel empty, as if he's fallen too deep into the darkness that he couldn't resurface any longer.

A flash of light had caught his eyes. His gaze trailed over to the magenta necklace that had fallen off of Claire's neck and was now swimming in her blood. Without thinking, Axel bent over and grabbed it, picking it up by its chain. This tiny thing had used Claire's darkness against his older brother in order to kill him. Such a thing shouldn't exist anymore.

Before he could crush it in his hand, the gem glowed brightly. Suddenly, his injured shoulder blade burned much more. A scream of pain left his mouth as he dropped the necklace and clutched his shoulder. He could feel a warm liquid seeping out through the wound. When he glanced at it, he was surprised that it wasn't his blood. It was some sort of black liquid with a purple hue.

Poison.

His vision became very unfocused to the point where he couldn't make out anything. Axel fell to his knees and clutched onto his shoulder blade tighter. The pain became unbearable, making him cry out in pain. Hearing this, his teammates began to rush to his side, watching his body fall onto the ground. Black dots clouded his vision before he became unconscious.

* * *

Axel's eyes furrowed as the bright sunlight shined on his face. A tired sigh escaped his lips as he slowly sat up into a sitting position. As he did, he felt his tired and sore muscles seize up. The first thing he noticed were the bandages that were wrapped around his left shoulder and torso. He also noticed that he was back in his room, or should he say the room he was staying in while the knights remained in Viridian Village.

If that's the case, then he must be back in Maya's mansion. How ironic, the medical knight was the one who needed healing. He treated the other squadron members, but never had he thought that he'd be the one being treated.

Of course, what had happened before he became unconscious remained clear in his head. Kazuma... he never actually betrayed their family. He was under a spell that Claire put on him in order to go through their master's demands. They both suffered from loss and betrayal over the years and as they grew older.

Axel was glad he was able to kill Claire. However, he still couldn't help but feel like he accomplished nothing. He got his revenge, but now what? He may have fallen too deep in revenge that now he couldn't resurface. That was his fault though because his whole life had revolved around a misunderstanding. He wasn't even sure he could move on from all of this.

A knock on the door caught his attention. However, before he could give a response, the doorknob jiggled and opened to reveal Maya. When her gold optics made contact with his brown eyes, a relieved smile made its way onto her pink lips. Without letting him say something, the brunette woman ran toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him closely to her. A blush made its way onto Axel's face, but he hugged her back nonetheless.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" she chimed as she pulled away from the hug.

"How long was I out?" he asked. A small frown made its way onto her face.

"Four days," she informed him. "We were all worried that the antidote we gave you for the poison didn't make it through your system on time."

Axel's eyes widened at the information she gave him. That's right, he was poisoned by Claire's spell. However, he never knew how lethal that poison was to have him knocked out for four days.

"I see," he mumbled, looking away. "I'm sorry for making everyone worry, especially you."

Maya shook her head and grabbed one of his hands, that same spark he felt whenever they touched igniting. Her touch instantly filled him with warmth, one that helped him relax.

"Knowing you're alive is well enough," she said, flashing him a sincere smile.

"Thank you." Axel smiled in return. "After all that's happened, I'm glad to be up and well." A look of sympathy flashed in her gold eyes as she gave his hand a quick squeeze, which he also returned.

"Kazuma was a victim, just like the rest of us. He never wanted any of it to happen; he never wanted to kill our family. I got the revenge I wanted, but I still feel empty."

"Why is that?" Maya asked.

"My whole life revolved around revenge for my parents and sister. Knowing that it was all created by a misunderstanding made it feel like that entire time was wasted. I've fallen into a darkest depths of vengeance. I think I've lost hope of ever returning to the surface of the light."

"That's not true," Maya stated, her gold eyes narrowing at Axel. He was surprised how much it affected him. "There is still hope for you to escape the grasp of vengeance no matter how deep you think you are. Your friends will help you see the light again."

A warming smile made its way onto her lips as she gave his hand a squeeze of reassurance. "I'll help you see the light again."

Axel's look of surprise melted into an earnest one as he stared into Maya's warming eyes. She was willing to help him, even though they both experienced the feeling of loss. However, unlike him, she didn't fall into the pit of vengeance like he did. Even though her grandfather was killed, instead of seeking revenge, she moved on and took over for her grandfather because she knew that it was what he would've wanted.

This got him thinking— did his family want him to avenge them? Did it even matter anymore now that he knew the truth behind everything?

Honestly, it didn't.

Kazuma was now free from the clutches of suffering. Not only that, but Axel was finally able to put down their common enemy. He was finally living for real this time— his life no longer revolving around vengeance. It was all thanks to the woman next to him.

Without thinking, Axel pulled Maya into a tight embrace. She was stiff at first, probably not expecting such behavior from him, but returned the embrace either way. A grateful grin made its way onto his lips as he rested his face on the crook of her neck.

"Thank you for saving me, Maya."

Later that day, the rest of the squadron prepared to leave Viridian Village. Blake scolded the hell out of Axel for taking on an opponent by himself. Apparently, he wanted to fight Claire as well, but Axel had used what Blake called "a scary voice" to make him back off. Though he thought the whole thing was bullshit, Axel still apologized to the blond idiot. Everyone else was happy that he managed to stay alive through all of that.

Axel heard that while he was knocked out, Jane had came back with a weird device called Pandora's Box. Apparently, it was used to seal Claire's powers before it could make its way onto him and possess his body. She was able to seal it and now it was stored away somewhere safe where no one could get their hands on it. Claire's corpse, as well as the others that were used as fighting entities, were taken care of by the local knights. Almost all of them were identified, but it was also unfortunate news to the family of the deceased.

Maya had also apologized nonstop to Soul and the rest of the squadron, well, mostly to Soul. The story was that she and Jane had lured her into the forest because Claire had ordered them to. They were bound by the witch out of fear and didn't want to partake in this mess. Maya was also forced to stab Aaron or else she would've been punished for not protecting her mistress. Hearing it made Axel remember what a psychopath that witch really was.

Now here they stood, near the exit of the village. The squadron was all packed up and ready to go, but it seemed as though Soul didn't really want to leave. Axel couldn't blame her because he didn't want to leave either. Maya and Jane stood in front of them, their backs facing the village. Maya was still apologizing like crazy to Soul.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, a look of guilt masking her face as she bowed.

"I've told you already that you're forgiven, twenty three times," Soul spoke in an annoyed voice. "Quit apologizing already!"

"But I betrayed you and stabbed your teammate!" she cried before looking at Aaron. "Sorry about that by the way."

"It's fine, I understand the circumstances you were under. You're forgiven," he assured with a closed eyed smile.

A sigh of annoyance left Soul's mouth as she face palmed. Blake and Axel chuckled while Akira just shook her head with a grin playing at her lips. No one would have thought to meet someone who would apologize as much as Maya did.

"Milady," Jane called to Maya. "I believe we owe our visitors parting gifts."

"Right." She nodded. "Do you have them with you?"

Jane nodded her head and revealed two things she kept hidden behind her back. In her right hand, she held an old, tattered notebook while her left hand held a red velvet sack that's used for storing jewelry in.

"Concerning the incoming war between the two foreign nations, I don't have much knowledge of. However, I am well aware of the Johto fugitives who invaded our territory to ignite the war," Maya informed. Jane handed the brunette the notebook, who then handed it to Soul. "This was her journal of everything she documented from seven years ago and up until now. I'm most certain she has documented information regarding the Johto Knights and most possibly the Hoenn Knights."

Soul took the journal from Maya's hand and began to skim through it, eyeing the pages intently. As she continued skimming, Maya continued to talk.

"She wrote in it every day. I remember her telling me it was a sort of therapy to keep her from going completely insane. Her madness was the beating heart of the darkness that corrupted her, so I must warn you that the content in that journal is her personal experience and feelings."

"I understand." Soul nodded, closing the journal and looking up at Maya. "I can respect that much."

"Of course." Maya smiled. "Also, there's something I want you to have, Soul."

The brunette woman took the velvet sack from Jane's hand and gave it to Soul. A quizzical look crossed her sea green eyes as she stared at the small sack in her hand. Anyone who knew Soul should also know that unlike most women, she wasn't much of an accessory wearer. The only exception to that was her mother's necklace for personal reasons.

"Open it," Maya insisted.

Soul nodded her head and undid the red string that sealed the sack. She tipped it over her other hand to empty it out. A silver ring decorated with a small diamond in the center landed on the palm of her hand. The moment her eyes landed on the piece of jewelry on her hand, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Maya..." she mumbled, a sad look crossing her face. "Where did you find this?"

"In the outskirts of Viridian Village near the forest where your old house use to be," she answered with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry I waited until now to give it to you."

"Major, what is it?" Akira asked with interest.

"My mother's wedding ring..." she answered.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, but melted into a sympathetic look when they saw that melancholic look on her face. Not everyone knew so much about her past. However, that look on her face told them that her parents were a touchy subject with her. Axel was most familiar about her father and how he died during the war years ago, but not much about her mother. She experienced the same feeling of loss, just like him and Maya.

Axel believed that he and Soul had a few things in common than he had thought. When Father Malcolm and General Hayes assigned him this mission, he wasn't sure how to feel being in the same team as her. He always thought Soul was like a walking machine; scarcely showing an ounce of emotion and giving out orders with a strict tone. All she cared about was her role as a high ranked knight and an aura guardian, performing her duties flawlessly. However, through this mission of theirs, he finally understood who she was as a person rather than her reputation.

Back then, everyone underestimated her because of her gender and saw her as a weakling and a nuisance. Axel had the same misogynistic mindset until he saw her abilities and all of the things she could do. With her powerful strength and will, people often forgot that she was still a woman who had feelings too. He didn't know that until she was given the rank of Major and now experiencing her emotions. She's not just a knight, but also a person with a warm heart.

Soul clutched the wedding ring in her hand and held it close to her heart. That wedding ring meant the world to her since it belonged to her mother. The blonde woman looked at Maya with a grateful look.

"Maya, thank you," Soul said with a genuine smile on her face.

"Anytime, my dearest friend," Maya replied with a closed eyed smile.

"Well, as much as I hate to interrupt such a warming moment," Aaron inputted and looked at Soul. "We have to get going."

"Right." She nodded before looking back at Maya. "Well, looks like this is goodbye for now."

"Make sure you stay in contact with me, okay?" she told Soul. Her gold gaze moved from her to the curly haired knight. "Same goes for you, Axel."

His eyes widened as he felt his cheeks beginning to grow warm all of the sudden. A surprised "what" left his mouth as well, followed by a series of stutters. He heard Blake, Akira, and Aaron chuckling at him while a pair of eyes burned holes at the back of his head. Axel could bet his money that it was Soul who was staring at him.

"H-Huh?!"

"I want to stay in contact with you, Axel." Maya blushed lightly as she shyly looked away. "I think you're a really amazing person and I want to get to know you more. Maybe even one day, we can meet each other again."

The warmth in his cheeks burned more as his heart started racing. By this point, Axel knew that a mad blush was stuck on his face. However, what Maya told him made him feel all warm inside. Besides, he would love to continue talking to her. She helped him out through this incident, and he felt like they could be closer later on in the future. His surprised eyes relaxed as he gave Maya a nod.

"Of course, will do," Axel replied with a smile.

That moment of bliss was shattered when he felt a very intimidating presence looming behind him. A look of dread formed on his face as he gulped down the fear that rose.

"Oh? Have I missed something going on between you two?" Soul's voice threateningly asks.

"U-Uh n-nothing!" Axel answered quickly before moving away from her and hiding behind Blake and Akira.

"Man, Major's gonna watch you like a hawk since you're falling for her best friend," Blake commented with a chuckle.

"S-Shut up!"

After bidding each other goodbye, the squadron officially left Viridian Village. The events that occurred there were definitely not what they were expecting, but they managed to get through it. The chains of vengeance were finally broken and Axel was able to actually live his life freely. From this day forward, everything was going to be different with him. He was no longer the man who drowned in the pool of the past.

Now that he knew the truth, he was able to move on and accept everything that has happened. His family could finally rest in peace. Axel would continue to live for all of them because his life was spared on that unfortunate night. He would live for everyone.


	32. Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes

By the time the group managed to cover half of their journey to their next location, Pewter Village, the clock had already struck the evening. Pewter Village was not too far from Viridian Village, but it was still a good distance away. The mission that was given to them a little over three months ago was beginning to reach its conclusion. After all, they only needed to make two more stops before they could finally be able to return home. However, a few questions remained.

What would happen once the mission was over? Would everyone go back to the lives they had before they were all brought together? Most importantly, would it be too late for it all?

Those were the same questions that roamed around Soul's mind as they continued walking the dirt trail that led to their destination. It had not occurred to her once throughout this mission until she realized something. Now that the last fugitive of Johto was gone, there was no longer the possibility of any more ambushes. If that was the case, the rest of this mission should go by smoothly. But then again, that was not a reason to bring her guard down.

There were still questions she had about the foreign fugitives. For one thing, she remembered Cato Hann had said something about Johto already breaking the contract between them and Kanto because someone hadn't helped them during a crisis. What did he mean by that? Who did they hate so much to drag an entire nation into a mess they weren't involved with? Most importantly, how would this all end?

A tired sigh left her lips as she stretched her arms over her head, a satisfying pop or two leaving her relaxed. The blonde woman let her arms fall to the side, now feeling more relaxed. Despite those unanswered questions she had, Soul felt as if some sort of weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Maybe it was the fact that she came back to her home after being away for so long. Even though she dreaded coming back, she was glad she did.

After all, she got back something that once belonged to her mother. At the thought of this, Soul grabbed the necklace that was hidden under her shirt and pulled it out. Earlier, she had slid the ring into the chain because she was worried she might lose it if she wore it on her finger. Plus, it was a wedding ring. That might be a little bit suggestive if anyone saw her wearing it.

A fond smile graced her lips as she watched the diamond on the ring shine from the moonlight. The sapphire gem on the necklace also shined, but not as bright as the diamond. Soul was not much of an accessory wearer, but the necklace and wedding ring were very important to her. It was all she had left of her mother.

"That's a very beautiful ring."

Her reminiscing thoughts came to a halt at the sound of Aaron's voice next to her. Soul removed her gaze from the ring to her fellow comrade, who looked back at her with a small smile.

"Thank you," she replied. "Father once said he went through a lot of trouble finding the perfect ring for her."

"Well he certainly picked the right one."

"Just kiss already!"

Both aura guardians were startled at a certain Pokémon's loud and obnoxious voice as a mad blush began to creep up on their faces. Gallade chuckled at his own comment, but not until Lucario hit him over the head.

"Ow!"

"You really need to learn self-control," Lucario stated as Gallade rubbed his head.

"But that doesn't mean you have to hit me!"

"Is this what it's like to have talking Pokémon?" Akira wondered out loud as both Gallade and Lucario got into a little argument. Blake and Axel shrugged in response.

"I certainly hope not," the blond knight spoke his mind.

"It's probably just them," Axel added.

As they continued walking through the green fields under the night sky, a thought suddenly occurred to Axel. His mind wandered over to that diary which had been given to Soul. He knew that it contained everything Claire knew about the foreign knights, but also her personal experience. She may have been a person with feelings and the right to privacy, but he could not help but be curious about what other things she may have written down. The other things being the events that took place from ten years ago.

There was no doubt about the fact that he could not let this matter go. However, he made himself a promise to give it up for the sake of his deceased brother, who he held a grudge against over something he misinterpreted. In order to take his mind off of it, Axel decided to bring up the topic about the Johto and Hoenn Knights and the information they gathered about how to achieve their goal.

"So, Major," he called out to the blonde woman. "By any chance, have you taken a look at that journal?"

"I haven't looked into it too much," Soul answered. "But I have looked enough to know things we haven't even considered."

"Such as?" Aaron questioned.

"The key for summoning Mew," she revealed. "It seems like this so called key is nearly impossible to find. The journal read that it's taken the Johto Knights five years to find it and have barely made any progress. Also, it seems like the Tree of Beginnings has something to do with Mew's summoning."

Before anyone could question it any further, a sound of nearby rustling caused Soul to stop, followed by everyone else. Quickly, the blonde woman unsheathed her sword and pointed it at the place where she heard the rustling coming from. Soul put on her strict exterior while everyone else prepared themselves in case a battle broke out. The rustling became louder and louder, eventually revealing two people, knights to be exact, and three Pokémon emerged behind them. Soul became even more cautious as she noticed something about them.

They were both from the foreign armies that practically hated each other. Based on their armor and emblems, one was from the Johto Knights while the other one was from Hoenn Knights. The three Pokémon behind them were an Exploud, Crobat, and a rather hyper Darmanitan. Fierce flames emitted from its mouth and nostrils, as if waiting to burn someone into oblivion. Soul raised an eyebrow at the two knights, suspicious as to what they are doing here together rather than getting at each other's throats.

"What are you people up to?" she questioned the two knights. "Shouldn't you two be killing each other right about now?"

"Funny thing, we're actually brothers," the knight bearing the Earth Creators revealed with a cocky smirk. "I'm an espionage who managed to infiltrate the Hoenn Knights. Those idiots are too buried in their goal, they haven't even noticed."

"Whatever," Blake snapped. "Why are you here?"

At the question, both knights revealed their serious demeanor. Under the moonlight, their fringe shadowed over their eyes, giving them a suspicious air around them.

"Lieutenant General Cato Hann and his fellow accomplices are all dead," one spoke, their voice suddenly becoming angry. "We also know that you all were responsible for doing so."

"We didn't want it to come to this, mostly because we didn't want to make an enemy out of Kanto," the other knight added, unsheathing his sword. "However, our leader said that we must eliminate anyone who sticks their nose into our business."

"That is why we're letting you all know now," the espionage threatened. "Stay out of our way."

Soul gritted her teeth, unable to withstand hearing such ludicrous threat coming from the likes of them. Who do they think they are? The blonde woman hardened her green eyes, making her demeanor more menacing than ever before. Even her aura radiated menacing authority.

"You think we're going to back down all because of a simple threat?" she mumbled bitterly. "Whenever our country's safety is concerned, I will do everything in my power to stop it before it brings danger to us all."

"Kanto has already suffered a war on its grounds and it left many people devastated. That is why we can no longer sit by and not take action when there is a chance Kanto will be ground for another battle," Aaron added, preparing to strike down the knights if they thought about taking them on.

"Well, if that's how you want it, then we have no other choice." The Johto Knight looked at his brother with a knowing look. "Ross, you know what to do."

"Of course, Mike." His brother nodded and released his weapon. "I've got your back."

Ross nodded and looked over his shoulder and at the three Pokémon behind him. A dark smirk made its way onto his face as he gave his pets his wanted command.

"You all must assist me in defeating those knights right away and kill them. Darmanitan, you're free to go all out."

The Blazing Pokémon's eyes lit up as everyone clashed into a battle. It was six against two, but if you counted in the Pokémon participating, it was twelve against five. This made it clear who would become victorious in this small fight and who would lose. No one could defeat the elite Kanto Knights. They may not seem like much at first glance, but looks were very deceiving.

Swords clashed, Pokémon attacks were sent each other's way, and both sides were beginning to suffer fatigue with the exception of the fired up Darmanitan. The area around them suddenly became scorched and beat up. Trees were being dented and any wild Pokémon around the area fled, scared for their lives. There was never a moment where their fighting had not caused some sort of damage to either each other or the area. Normally, with these odds given to the Kanto Knights, their opponents were undoubtedly strong.

The fighting had now gotten to a point where all knights and Pokémon were beginning to get injured. A Screech attack echoed through the entire area, but Ross and Mike had put in earplugs before the attack was launched. Unfortunately for everyone else, they had to suffer the loud noise. Using this as a distraction, Mike sent his Crobat to use Poison Fang at Axel and Blake. Luckily, both Houndoom and Arcanine pounced at the flying Pokémon and knocked it out.

Axel got himself together and sent his Houndoom to use Flare Blitz on the enemy's Exploud. However, the Exploud barely managing to get away with a burn on its arm. This distraction allowed Lucario and Gallade to attack it with a double Focus Punch attack, taking it down instantly. Meanwhile, Soul and Aaron were fighting against Ross and Mike with their weapons. Akira had been temporarily unconscious from getting knocked into a tree by that Darmanitan.

Blake tried to stop the Blazing Pokémon, but he ended up getting an Arm Thrust to the stomach, instantly taking him down. Now it was up to Axel, Lucario, and Gallade to stop this monstrous Pokémon before it kills everyone. This kept them busy while Soul and Aaron still battled against Ross and Mike. Soul's swords harshly clashed with Mike's sword, sparks igniting the moment both blades grinded against each other. The blonde woman pulled her sword back and swung it forward again, her sword prepared to cut his neck.

The Johto Knight reacted with surprise at her swift movement, but avoided the blade before it could reach his neck. Soul's eyes flared with annoyance, resulting in her powering up her blade using her aura. With a loud battle cry, she charged at Mike. The knight had barely managed to block her sword with his own, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. Either way, he tried his best to overpower her sword with his own. Soul smirked before giving a hard push, causing Mike to fly back.

His back collided harshly with a tree, creating a crater-like dent on it. The Johto Knight coughed violently, some blood coming out of his mouth and staining the corners of his lips. He had no idea that women could be so strong. Still, he would not let anyone defeat him, especially a woman like her. Mike reached for his sword, only to feel a sharp blade being pointed at his neck, causing him to immediately freeze.

His vibrant amber eyes made contact with Soul's flaring green eyes, causing fear to claw at his stomach. That look on her face intimidated him to the point where he wouldn't even dare reach for his sword anymore. Just like before, she powered up her sword with her aura, a scowl on her lips as she looked at Mike.

"You made a huge mistake threatening an aura guardian, don't you think?"

"Darmanitan, quick! Use Fire Punch before Mike gets killed!"

"Major, look out!"

Unfortunately, it was already too late. Time seemed to slow down as Soul tore her gaze from Mike, only for her eyes to widen in shock seeing a fire coated fist coming right at her. The fire seemed to shine fiercely before colliding with Soul's stomach. Pain began to surge through her entire body before she felt herself being thrown back with a strong force. A cry of pain left her mouth before she was rammed against a tree by a second fire punch attack.

Black dots immediately clouded her vision, but she refused to be taken down so easily. As Soul tried to get up, a violent cough erupted out of her mouth. Crimson blood spewed out of her mouth, her throat and lungs beginning to burn. She could no longer understand what was going on, for her mind could no longer function properly. Her entire body was in unbearable pain, leaving her with no other choice but to stop struggling.

With that, Soul fell limp onto the ground unconscious.

* * *

Akira bit her lip as her, Blake, and Axel continued to walk through Pewter Village in search of the representative. After that surprise ambush attack, Soul was in really bad shape. She was knocked unconscious by that scary powerful Fire Punch attack. Luckily, they were able to get here on time and get her medical attention, which may have possibly saved her life. When those goons realized what they did, they retreated. Blake tried to go after them, but they were already gone.

Soul hadn't woken up since then, which Akira wasn't surprised considering the damage that she took. However, that didn't mean that the rest of the squadron weren't worried. They arrived in Pewter Village three days ago and all they've done was nothing but worry. Aaron hadn't left her side ever since, not even to eat. He refused to leave her side until he knew that she was going to be safe.

These foreign armies were really beginning to cause trouble for the squadron, especially Johto. The squadron could handle a few fugitives, but they've crossed the line when they hurt Soul. The knights had begun to notice that this mission was burdening her the most out of all of everyone. Akira wished she could do more to help, but between the both of them, Soul was far more stronger and talented than her. The blonde woman was always one step ahead of them, which was why Akira didn't think she could do anything to help.

A tug at her hand suddenly pulled the white haired woman out of her train of thought. Akira could already feel the familiar warmth of Blake's hand in hers. She looked over at the blond man, who was giving her a worried look.

"What's on your mind, Akira?" he asked, his voice matching his expression.

"I'm worried about Major," she admitted with a sigh. "She's been out for three days now, three days. The damage she took wasn't just a mere scratch and that's what worries me."

Blake gave her a light chuckle, causing her to raise a suspecting eyebrow. How could he be laughing like that at a time like this?

"What's so funny?" Akira questioned with a slight glare.

"You're forgetting that this is Major we're talking about," Blake stated bluntly, as if she was slow to understand.

"That's right, Akira," Axel chimed in, causing her and Blake to look at him. "She's not your average knight after all."

"Oh yeah!" Blake exclaimed. "Major is also an aura guardian!"

Axel and Akira sweat dropped at his rhetorical statement. That was literally the first thing Elliot informed the Indigo Palace Knights when he gave them information on the Rota Knights! Akira should be use to his dense persona by now, but sometimes she wondered if he's pretending or if he's serious. She honestly gave up trying to figure it out at this point.

"Yeah, there's that," Axel agreed. "But let's not forget how stubborn she can be at times. Knowing Major, she's probably trying her best to wake up as soon as possible. After all, if a mission like this one is crucial, she won't let anything get in the way of completing it. If anything, we have nothing to worry about."

"She's a tough woman. Trust me, her fists don't tell lies," Blake assured, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

They did have a point. Soul was far more strong and talented than what most people gave her credit for. She has the strength of a warrior, and she's done everything she could to help all of them. If he were here with them, Akira was sure Mark would've agreed with her when she said Soul was a true hero. She could honestly say that the blonde woman was truly worthy of the title of aura guardian.

Akira's face softened a bit as a small grin graced her lips. Why was she worrying so much about someone whose strength surpassed hers? She really was a tough woman, both physically and spiritually.

"You're both right." I nodded. "This is Major we're talking about. If anything, she's probably going to wake up before the end of the day."

At least she hoped so.

Akira still had her doubts, but she decided to keep that part to herself. She didn't want to sound like such a downer who always focused on the negative stuff. Besides, Soul was a strong person and maybe the men with her were right when they say they had nothing to worry about.

As they continued walking through the streets, someone had accidentally bumped into Blake. The person was an old man, who had dropped a basket full of apples afterwards. A few of them had tumbled out of the basket as it landed on the dirt ground. The old man sighed in defeat, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Today is not my day..." he mumbled with a frown.

"I'm sorry about that, sir," Blake apologized and knelt down. "Please, allow me to pick these up."

Before the old man could give an answer, Blake had already picked up two of the four apples that had fallen. After picking all of them up and placing them in the basket, Blake stood up and handed the old man the basket. The old man took the basket back and smiled.

"Thank you, young man," the old man spoke gratefully.

"Anytime, good sir." Blake smiled before looking back at Axel and Akira. "We should get going."

"Right." Akira nodded. "We still have to find the representative."

"Hold on a minute," the old man called out, causing the knights to look at him. "Are you young people looking for our leader?"

"Um..." Akira trailed off, uncertain of whether she should tell the civilian.

"Yes, we are," Axel confirmed with a nod. "We have important matters to talk to them about."

"Well, why did you not say so earlier? I know exactly where he is!" the old man beamed.

The knights glanced at each other with uncertainty. It was against the knight's code of conduct to talk about their missions to civilians, much less get them involved. Before any of them could say anything, the old man had shoved them all a bit.

"Come on, young people. Let's get moving!" he said enthusiastically.

"Um, sir? How do you know where your leader lives?" Akira asked curiously. It would be kind of strange that a civilian had knowledge of a figurehead's private home.

"Because it would be mighty dumb of me if I forgot where my own house is!" He smiled at Akira.

"What?!"

* * *

"I see..." The old man, Julius Cartwright, sighed. "So your captain has been wounded and a fellow subordinate has volunteered to watch over her. I'm sorry this happened at such terrible timing."

Akira nodded her head, not once removing her gaze from the caramel liquid that was inside the ceramic tea cup. Her hands gripped the cup as she recalled the event that took place a few days ago. Soul didn't deserve any of that.

"Yeah..." She nodded. "That's why we waited until now to seek any information you may have regarding the two foreign military who plan war onto Kanto's grounds."

Julius nodded his head, his eyes seeming to focus on something, maybe his thoughts. A frown made its way onto his lips as the old man shook his head sadly.

"I apologize, but I'm afraid I can't be of much help in this case," Julius regretfully informed them. "All I know about those foreign military are that they're both after the same thing. Those who witnessed the fights have heard it right from the source."

The hope Akira held onto had finally diminished once he said he didn't have much to help them with. A look of defeat made its way onto her face as she looked back down at her lap. Everything seemed to be falling apart. First, they got ambushed, then Soul got terribly injured, and now they couldn't acquire any new information. Just when things were beginning to look up for them after everything that happened in Viridian Village.

"Sir, what's this?"

Akira rose her head up to see Blake and Axel both standing on either side of some strange plaque. It was pretty big, barely reaching up to Blake and Axel's waists and they were pretty tall to begin with.

"Oh, that's an artifact one of my colleges found not too long ago," Julius answered, getting up from his seat and walking over to the two. "They said they found it near a cave that's at the outskirts of Pewter Village!"

Something about that plaque piqued Akira's interest as well. The white haired woman got up from her seat and walked over to it to get a better look herself. She actually found old relics and artifacts very intriguing; history always got her curious. It's even more interesting if they came from a foreign area. The mystery behind them also intrigued her.

Akira knelt down to get a better look at the details that were engraved on the plaque. The whole thing was completely concrete, making some of the details barely legible. A quizzical look crossed her features as she continued to study the plaque.

"My colleague and I haven't got a single clue on this plaque's origins. All we know is that there's a hidden message engraved on it," Julius explained.

"Do you know what it says?" Axel asked.

"Unfortunately no," the elder answered. "We tried to read it, but it seems to be written in another language. Plus, the bumpy surface kind of makes it hard to read."

Another language? Akira took a closer look at the carvings of foreign letters scattered throughout the rough surface. Her eyes perked up when she recognized some of the letters, maybe even making out a brief phrase.

"Sir, what if I told you I can read this?" Akira looked up at the elder.

"I'd call you a genius."

"Actually, I know this language. My family is a decedent from the race that this language derives from," she explained.

"Well, Akira, what does it say?" Blake asked.

The white haired woman brought her hand up and trailed along the bumps and curves of the plaque. Some dirt fell from it as her hands slid across the surface. The more dust that emitted from the dirt came off, the easier it became to read.

 _Heroes are gifts,_  
 _sent from the gods themselves._

 _They possess great powers,_  
 _but they continue to excel._

 _The gods brought them down to earth_  
 _for one purpose only._

 _To save humanity,_  
 _in any act so holy._

 _Yet, as the Earth grows of age,_  
 _evil has now bounds to be or reign._

 _When disaster strikes,_  
 _one hero will rise._

 _With the power within themselves,_  
 _they shall save humanity before it all goes down._

 _However,_  
 _such a deed comes with a price to pay._

 _Because Death has no delay._

After reading the message from the plaque, Akira stood back up on her feet. She couldn't help but feel a bit disturbed by that message. There were many possibilities as to what it applied to, but for some reason, she felt that there was more to it.

"Akira what the hell did you just read?" Blake asked her, clearly confused.

"The prophecy."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she quickly tore her gaze from the plaque and looked at Julius, who wore the most serious demeanor she has ever seen her entire life. She could already tell that the so called prophecy she read was definitely no laughing matter. Her surprised look turned into a serious one as well as she pulled herself together.

"Do you mind explaining this so called prophecy?" Akira asked.

"Tell me, Miss Akira," the old man spoke seriously, causing me to focus at his next words. "Are you aware of Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes?"

How could she not? It was one of the few things her mother taught her when she was a child. Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes was a huge circle divided up into four quads, each one distinguishing a certain trait that made a hero. Legend has it that humans are born with only one trait from the Wheel. This cycle had existed since Ancient Kanto, but many people nowadays disregard the tale as just a myth.

"Of course I am," she answered. "The four quads that make up Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes are loyalty, intelligence, bravery, and sacrifice."

"And do you know why many people of Ancient Kanto were said to have looked up to only one man as their human god?"

A sudden thought had occurred to her. Julius said that many people in Ancient Kanto were unable to truly live because they could not obtain one last final quad of the cycle. People were said to either be born with either intelligence or loyalty. Bravery was hard to obtain, but that last quadrant of sacrifice was nearly impossible to obtain.

"The people of Ancient Kanto were unable to obtain all four quads to complete the Wheel," Akira explained further.

"That's correct." Julius nodded. "However, there was record of one man who was said to be born with the quad of sacrifice, which made it all the more unbearable when he acquired the other three."

Her eyes widened in surprise. That was almost too surreal to even believe. How could a person be born with the quad of sacrifice?

"That's impossible," she commented.

"I thought so as well," he agreed with her. "Until I researched this supposed man myself. This man went through excruciating hardships to complete the Wheel. He was powerful, intelligent, and swore his loyalty to the people. It was no wonder the people regarded him as a human god."

"If that's the case, then this man must've truly been a hero, just like the Wheel foresaw..." Akira mused, holding her chin in between her thumb and index finger with a thoughtful look.

"That is why I believe this prophecy has a connection with the plaque my colleague found. I believe that it foretold the hero's fate of sacrifice."

It made sense the more Akira thought of it. The quad of sacrifice was rare to obtain; people actually believed that no one could ever obtain such trait. Yet, this hero from Ancient Kanto was born with it and was able to obtain the other quads as well. This had her thinking, did this hero know he had completed Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes? Were they aware of the prophecy and their fate?

This plaque here sure aroused her curiosity. If she hadn't read it, she would have never known of such thing. The words engraved on it weren't clear, but it still told her that it was meant for a hero, or possibly heroes, of another era. However, something still bugged her about it.

What was such an artifact doing sitting in the outskirts of this village?

* * *

Soul's eyes slowly opened, but soon shut themselves again when she was welcomed with the bright stream of sunlight that came from the window a few feet away from her. A groan escaped her lips as she began to feel the soreness from her body which consumed her. The blonde woman could clearly remember everything that happened when the squadron was traveling to Pewter Village. They were ambushed by two knights and their Pokémon, both from the Johto Knights, no doubt. She also remembered getting hit by a Darmanitan's surprisingly powerful Fire Punch attack and she was out.

The blonde woman was rather surprised she didn't died from such attack, but she was thankful to be alive nonetheless. Still, just that moment of pain from before she went unconscious was unbearable. That Darmanitan had been trained ruthlessly, that's a fact. That aside, she really hoped those knights haven't gotten their hands on Claire's journal or anything. It could mean trouble for the squadron.

Soul was too deep in her worries that she didn't notice where she was. The room she was currently in was actually pretty small. All there was were a bed and nightstand with a lamp on it. To her right, she saw her sheathed sword leaning against the wall and her backpack was right next to it. Her face grimaced when she spotted her burned coat and dirty combo cover. Hopefully the tailor Queen Rin put in charge to make that coat wouldn't kill her.

The blonde woman ran a hand through her soft locks, which were out of its usual ponytail. It had gotten some length since they set out on this mission. She was going to have to cut it back short when she got back to Rota. As she was about to get up from the bed, she felt her left hand being tugged at. Soul looked down to her left and her gaze softened when she saw the person holding her hand.

Aaron was sound asleep with his head resting against the mattress from the chair he was seated on. His cape and hat were off, revealing his messy navy blue hair. His gloves were also off and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. His sleeping expression seemed as if he hadn't slept well for a while, making Soul wonder how long she was out for. However, it also brought a frown to her lips when she thought about the idea of him not sleeping because of her condition.

It bothered her so much whenever he worried for her because she knew that anything bothering her made him uneasy too. An example was when she refused to tell him about why she wanted to be an aura guardian so badly. Many people thought she should give up that goal and do something else with her life, but she didn't because her father would've wanted her to walk the same path he did. However, even though she didn't give him a clear answer, he never gave up on her. Aaron was the only one there for Soul and supported her dream.

It was all thanks to him that she was able to make it this far. Had he given up on her, she most likely would have been doing something else and hating her life. He was there for her during the one mission she failed because her emotions got in the way. Soul could remember the warmth she felt in her heart when he offered her his shoulder for her to cry on. Even now on this crazy mission, he still assisted her just like a knight does for the damsel in distress.

Soul was no damsel in distress; she was stronger than that. However, she could no longer deny that Aaron really was her knight in shining armor. She was falling for him hard and it was too late to stop herself. These feelings she had for him had been within her for a while now, but she kept denying them. As a sworn knight to Rota's ruler, Soul made an oath to not fall in love because it would only lead to heartbreak for the both of them.

However, it seemed like she had broken that rule almost two years ago, when her feeling for him started developing. Soul remembered during the Aether Day ball, how they shared a slow dance, and even almost kissed. If they hadn't been interrupted that time, would they have been something more than just comrades, more than just good friends? Even if she told him how she felt now, would he have felt the same way about her?

Soul didn't know, but all she knew was that she was in love with Aaron.

A sleepy groan caused her to snap out of her small conflict and turn her attention to her left. Aaron's eyes lazily opened, causing a small smile to form on Soul's face. Slowly, the navy haired man sat up straight and released a yawn afterwards.

"Morning sleepyhead," she greeted with an amused tone.

"Hey, you're up," he replied, letting go of her hand and rubbing the sleep out of his eye. Her hand suddenly felt cold afterwards.

"Where am I?" Soul asked. They were on their way to Pewter Village before they were attacked. She wondered where they had to take her afterwards.

"Pewter Village's local infirmary," he answered, making her sigh in relief. If they were in Pewter Village already, then they could just go ahead and speak with the representative.

"I know that you want to go and gather information right away, but don't worry. Akira, Blake and Axel went out to do that for you," Aaron assured her.

"Remind me to thank them later. They've definitely earned it," she commented, dropping her gaze to her hands that were now on her lap. "So, where are Gallade and Lucario? I had a feeling they'd stay here as well."

"They're both sparring outside. Gallade needed some distraction from what happened," he answered.

"I see," Soul mused. "How long was I out for?"

"Three days."

Her eyes widened in shock as her head snapped toward his direction. Had they really been here for three days? Damn, this was starting to get them behind schedule. They should all be on a boat that's on its way to Sirena's Island! This was all her fault. If only she had been more careful.

Speaking of...

"Did those knights by any chance get their hands on anything important, like Claire's journal?" Soul asked, throwing the covers away from her. However, before she could even turn her body to get out of bed, a hand grabbed her left wrist. The blonde woman looked over her shoulder to see Aaron giving her a stern look.

"Take it easy," he warned. "Even though you had three days to rest, you must be careful or else those wounds of yours might start to hurt. I don't want you to get hurt again."

It was at that moment that she confirmed it; he was worried about her. A sigh of defeat left her lips as she placed her other hand on top of his. A confused look crossed his features when she did, but she still didn't let it go.

"I'll be alright, there's no need to worry about me. I promise to be careful only because you told me to." Soul softly smiled at him. She could see him hesitate for a moment, but he eventually let her wrist go and stood up from his seat. He unrolled his sleeves and put on his cloak before grabbing his hat and staff.

"I'll be taking my leave so you can get changed. I'll wait for you outside when you're done," he said before making his way toward the door. However, before he could reach the doorknob, Soul called out his name. Aaron dropped his hand and looked over his shoulder at her.

"Thank you, for everything," she said, suddenly feeling shy about saying something like that. The navy haired man gave her a closed eyed smile.

"Anytime."

With that, he opened the door and left Soul alone in this room. She carefully got out of bed and grabbed her backpack to get out her spare uniform shirt. Unfortunately, the tailor had only made one blue coat for her and it was practically destroyed. It looked like she'd have to use her black cloak for now. Maybe she should also rip off the patch from her destroyed coat. It was a bit burned from the edges, but it could be passed off as dirty, so it was fine.

The tailor was definitely going to kill her when Soul came back to the castle.

After putting on her shirt, cloak, sword belt and clipped on her sheathed sword, the blonde woman ripped off the patch from her old cloak and put it in her pocket. She put on her backpack and grabbed her combo cover before exiting the infirmary.


	33. Ethereal Sphere

The knights were able to find a boat willing to take them to their final location of the mission: Sirena's Island. The ride from Pewter Village to Sirena's Island took almost half of the whole day, but thankfully they made it without any problems. The whole way, all Soul thought about was that strange prophecy Akira told her about. What could it mean? Was it some sort of premonition?

Not a single answer came up by the time they arrived at the island. Before she forgot, Soul made sure to write it down in the notebook since this sounded like something General Hayes would like to see for himself. After thanking the man who shipped the boat for them, the squadron walked deeper into the island to explore. None of them had any real knowledge about this island nor of the people who lived here. It would have been nice if General Hayes had gone over each location with a bit of background information.

For the first ten minutes or so, all they found were tropical plains and wild Pokémon here and there. However, after that, the squadron finally came across a large opening located in the center of the island. Huts and tepees were scattered all over the area. What surprised Soul was the small population of people residing on the island. How could an island with this many people be a spark of conflict?

Soul looked over at her squadron and motioned for them to follow her. Taking slow steps, she walked into the area with her back straight and eyes forward, like a real knight should appear. As they walked into the area, the knights began the catch the eyes of the people who lived here, eyeing them suspiciously. The blonde woman decided it would be best if they squadron ignored them and tried to find the representative of this island themselves.

"Hey!" Blake barked, causing the rest of the squadron to halt. "Quit the staring!"

"Akira." Soul pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hit him."

Seconds later, the blonde woman heard a satisfying smack, followed by a loud "ouch". She smirked a bit before motioning the rest of the group to follow her. Even still, the people kept a cautious eye on them, some burning holes right through her as well. It began to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Stop right there!"

Immediately, Soul halted her walking, raising her hand to stop the others as well. In front of her was a young boy with black hair tied into a braid and piercing green eyes. He wore a black long sleeve shirt under a brown vest, dark brown trousers, and a pair of dark green open toed shoes. On his left hand, he held a spear with the blade appearing extra sharp. Next to him stood a Marshtomp, who looked at the knights with the same cautious look the people here were giving them.

"State your business and where you came from," the boy ordered with a strict tone.

"We are knights from Rota and Indigo Palace, sent here on a mission by our superiors," Soul claimed. "We would like to speak with your leader."

"Prove it," he demanded.

"Of course," she agreed, turning toward her squadron to let them know to do the same. After showing him their badges of both Rota and Indigo Palace Knights, the young boy nodded his head before turning his back to them.

"Follow me."

* * *

The young boy knocked on the wooden door in front of the knights before taking a step back. They waited for a few minutes before the doorknob jiggled and the door finally opened. A man possessing similar traits as the young boy had stood there. He had the same black hair and green eyes, but his hair was short. He wore a white button up shirt with brown trousers and black shoes. His belt had a small sheath that exposed the handle of what they could assumed was a dagger.

"Chief Nicholas," the boy formally addressed. "We have visitors from the Mainland— knights sent here by the royal parliament."

"Haku, how many times must I tell you not be so formal with your own father?" the man, Nicholas, spoke kindly. The young boy, Haku, broke his strict exterior as he looked up at his father. The Marshtomp next to him did the same.

"I'm sorry Chie— I-I mean, Father!" Haku spurred nervously, causing the man to chuckle.

"All is forgiven, my son," he assured. "Just remember that when we're off duty, I'm just your father, nothing more and nothing less."

"Right!" Haku nodded, his Marshtomp doing the same. "I'll be going now!"

Haku turned around and left with his Pokémon. A small smile formed on Soul's lips as she watched his figure slowly becoming smaller as he got farther. That child reminded her of herself back then, before that cursed mission changed her. Snapping out of the small bittersweet nostalgia, the blonde woman looked at the man in front of her.

"You all must be the knights sent out in a mission to find out more of the Johto and Hoenn Knights, am I correct?" he asked.

"Yes," Soul confirmed. "May we enter?"

"Of course."

Because the house was smaller than they expected, all of their Pokémon had to stay outside. The knights all sat down on individual seats that formed a circle in the middle of the living room. Nicholas was the last one to be seated with a cup of tea in his hand. He had offered one to all of them, but they weren't in the mood for tea. After all, they came here on business, not for idly chatting.

Nicholas cleared his throat, causing all eyes to land on him. After taking a sip of his tea, the black haired man placed his cup into the coffee table in front of him. He glanced at each and everyone one of the knights with a serious look, making Soul forget of the playful side she saw earlier with Haku.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," he announced. "My name is Nicholas Santos, Chief and representatives of Sirena's Island. Whom might you be?"

"My name is Soul Fraverden, Major of the Rota Knights and captain if this squadron," she introduced, motioning to her teammates and then introducing each one.

"Nice to meet you all. I assume you are all here because of the feud between the two foreign military?" he asked.

"Correct," Soul answered. "Sirena's Island was one of the locations to have records of strange activity. Is this true?"

"Not entirely," Nicholas answered, causing the blonde woman to raise an eyebrow at him. "My people have reported seeing outsiders loitering around our territory, but other than that, I have nothing else to report about that topic."

"Let me get this straight," Aaron interrupted, now all eyes on him. "Sirena's Island hasn't had any violence made by the two military, am I correct?"

Nicholas nodded his head sternly. Soul narrowed her eyes at him, feeling a bit annoyed at the surprise news. There wasn't any activity here the whole time? If what he's saying was true, then what the hell were they doing here? What's the point of them wasting their time on this island?

"That is correct," Nicholas answered, Soul's annoyance increasing by about two percent. "However, I do know of their intentions."

Her annoyance was now swapped out by surprise and curiosity. Despite his lack of knowledge about the Johto and Hoenn Knights, there had to be a reason as to why he informed their superiors as a witness. It was the benefit of the doubt, but she hoped there was an answer to all of this.

"Intentions?" Akira asked, leaning forward a bit. "As in, what they hope to achieve here in this first place?"

"Yes." Nicholas nodded, grabbing a hold of his cup. "There is a reason why they are in Kanto in the first place."

He paused to take another sip of his tea. This conversation definitely took a turn to a new path Soul had no idea existed. Now that she thought about it, it was strange that the two foreign military decided to cause such a disturbance in Kanto of all nations, especially the Johto Knights. She didn't think anything of it, only that it wasn't an important detail. After taking a sip from his tea, Nicholas once again placed his cup down onto the coffee table.

"Have any of you heard of the Ethereal Sphere?" he asked.

All he got in response was silence and confused looks. Ethereal Sphere? Soul felt like she should've known of this, but she didn't. She knew nothing of such a thing. What was it? Was this what the foreign military were after?

"By the sound of it, I am assuming this so called Ethereal Sphere is important?" Axel asked.

"The Ethereal Sphere is far beyond important," he began to explain. "It could be considered a legendary treasure. It is a spherical form of energy that can be summoned through any form of aura. It originates from small crystal remnants from the Tree of Beginnings, but was also once part of Mew's being."

Something clicked in Soul's head as he finished that last sentence. She was right when she said Mew could be a primary target of the foreign military. However, she questioned the reasoning behind it. There had to have been more to it, but she couldn't figure out what it could be. But what Nicholas just said brought her to believe that it certainly had something to do with the Ethereal Sphere.

"Hold on a second," Blake cut in. "How do you know all of this?"

"Actually, I was wondering the same thing," Axel added, now all eyes on Nicholas. The black haired man let out a half-heartily chuckle. He gave the knights a genuine closed eyed smile.

"That's because I, myself, am an aura guardian," he revealed. Soul's eyes widened in surprise, giving a quick glance at Aaron to see how he reacted. Sure enough, he wore the same expression as her.

"What?!" everyone in the room exclaimed.

"Are you serious?!" Akira asked, shocked from the revelation.

"Yes, I am," Nicholas confirmed, his expression returning serious. "Now, may I continue?"

Soul glanced at her teammates and nodded, letting them know to settle down for now. They compromised and pulled their composure together. Once everyone calmed down, Nicholas continued to explain about the Ethereal Sphere.

"As I was saying, because Mew and the Ethereal Sphere are connected, the Johto and Hoenn Knights are hoping to be able to summon Mew using the Ethereal Sphere. From there, they could use its power to fulfill their goal for what they came here for. However, they are still lacking certain details," he explained.

"Like what?" Aaron asked.

"For one thing, they cannot summon Mew unless they are in the heart of the Tree of Beginnings. Because the Tree of Beginnings is Mew's life source, it is possible to summon its physical form. Otherwise, Mew cannot be summoned even if they were to get hold of the Ethereal Sphere."

"Anything else? What about the Ethereal Sphere itself?" Soul asked.

"As I said before, the Ethereal Sphere is considered a legendary treasure," he stated. "It cannot be found like buried treasure because it is not exactly located in this world."

Confusion was all Soul felt as she replayed his words in her head. The deeper this topic went, the more confused she seemed to get about all of this. It couldn't be found like buried treasure? It's not exactly located in this world? What the hell did that even mean?

"What are you trying to say?" Soul queried.

Nicholas's expression seemed to falter, allowing her to see some sort of hesitation in his eyes. Now Soul was becoming worried. He said it couldn't be found just anywhere, so it had to be safe right? However, there was still a possibility that it could be found and maybe even fall into the wrong hands. Soul felt her hands clutch the fabric of her black cloak as she saw his hesitation grow a bit more.

"Well?" she pressed.

"The Ethereal Sphere... it lives inside the human soul of a person," he revealed, causing her eyes to widen. "However, it is not in just anyone, but someone who has been born into the bloodline of aura guardians."

Aura guardian? Figures considering that he said the Ethereal Sphere could be summoned through any form of aura. Not only did this narrow down possibilities, but it helped to know that it's in possession of a person with good intentions. What worried her was who the person could be.

"Keep going," she ordered.

"In the history of aura guardians, only one bloodline of a certain family has carried this legendary treasure. The family had been chosen by Arceus himself. The Alpha Pokémon knew that the person he first gave it to had the potential to use his power wisely," he told.

Her eyes once again narrowed at his somewhat vague answer. The knights now knew where the Ethereal Sphere was and most of its origin, but Soul for one didn't care about that. What she wanted to know was the person who had it. Judging by the hesitant look on his face, she knew he was trying to hide something.

"Well? Who was it?" Blake questioned bluntly, genuine confusion written all over his face. He wasn't the brightest one in the squadron, but thankfully he wasn't afraid to ask when in doubt.

"His name was Alphonsus..." Nicholas hesitated.

Anticipation seemed to bite Soul hard as she leaned forward a bit, waiting for him to finish that damn sentence. The air around them grew thick with pressure the longer they waited for that last word. However, all that went away. The moment he opened his mouth and said that oh so familiar last name, Soul's eyes widened in shock.

"Alphonsus... Fraverden."

"Fraverden? You don't mean..." Axel trailed off, his eyes trailing over to Soul with an incredulous look.

The rest of her teammates' eyes followed shortly after, while the blonde woman gaped at Nicholas. She only prayed that he wasn't talking about her ancestor because if it turned out to be true, everything would change. Unfortunately, a nod of confirmation made that go away.

"Yes, I am talking about Miss Fraverden's ancestor," Nicholas answered. "As each generation is born, the Ethereal Sphere is passed down to the offspring. The last person who was in possession of it almost twenty three years ago was none other than Andrew Fraverden."

Her breath hitched in her throat as her fist clutched onto her cloak with a tighter grip. Her father was once the holder of the Ethereal Sphere, a legendary treasure that possessed so much power. Surprise was beyond what Soul felt right now, not even astounded. Wait a minute, he said that the Ethereal Sphere got passed down as each generation was born. If that's the case, then... then...

"What are you trying to say?" Aaron pressed on.

"The current holder of the Ethereal Sphere..." Nicholas stopped and looked at the blonde woman with dead serious eyes. "is you, Soul Fraverden."

The world around her seemed to stop as she began to let his words sink in through her shocked state. She felt frozen, her emotions not being able to keep up with her mind. Mentally, she was still trying to process what Nicholas just said while the rest of her remained still. She could tell all eyes were on her, but that didn't matter to her. She was just as shocked as them.

The final four words finally stuck to her. Her eyes were incredulously staring at Nicholas, who gave her a sympathetic look. Damn that sympathy, and damn all of this! Why was she the holder of the Ethereal Sphere, the thing that everyone wanted to greedily get their hands on? She was putting her whole team in danger just by being alive now! And her own father kept this from her?

Soul's confusion, her astonished emotions, all soon converted into anger and betrayal. She felt angered that this so called legendary treasure was right under her nose this whole time. She felt betrayed that she was kept in the dark about all of this. She was becoming overwhelmed; she couldn't get a grip on her emotions. Abruptly, the blonde woman stood up from her seat, causing some of her teammates to flinch.

Pushing them aside, Soul glared at Nicholas as her fingernails dug into her palms. She breathed in and out, taking shaky but steady breaths to calm herself down. However, it seemed futile because she was still furious.

"What do you mean I'm the holder of the Ethereal Sphere?! Why would my own father keep such a secret from his own daughter?!" Soul fumed. "I'm putting my whole squad in danger because of this damn legendary treasure!"

"Andrew was a man of truth and truth only," he stated calmly, only causing her to grow more angry. "He did not want you to know about it until you became of age. He wanted to make sure you understood why he could not tell you as a child, because he did not want you to put yourself in danger."

Her whole body quaked with seething anger, but she could gradually sense herself feeling something else. Soul couldn't believe the crap she was hearing right now! Put herself in danger? This wasn't a fucking fairy tale! She was going to be in danger at some point and thanks to him, she was already in danger because of the damn Ethereal Sphere!

"It's a bit too late for that don't you think?!" she shouted, feeling her eyes gloss over with tears.

"What are you—"

"Don't you understand?! I'm already in danger all because of the Ethereal Sphere!" Soul screamed, feeling a hot tear roll down her cheek. "The greed humanity has is disgusting; they'll stop at nothing to get what they desire. Because of that greed, one of my comrades had to die. He died all because of the greed the foreign military held! Now because of me and the Ethereal Sphere, my own team is in danger!"

Soul turned her back to the others as another hot tear left her eye. Just thinking back on all that's happened, it reminded her of everything her squadron had to face because of the fugitives, the same ones who came from their supposed allies. All of that struggle, all of that trouble, for something that was right under her nose all along.

"I-I need some time to myself," Soul half-whispered, her voice sounding broken.

Before anyone could try to stop her, the blonde woman swiftly left the house and ran. She didn't care where she ended up; she just wanted to be far, far away from the others. Even if it was for a moment, they could at least be safe.

Soul, however, wished that she never knew of the Ethereal Sphere.


	34. Promises For the Future

_Father... why?_

 _How could you keep such a big secret from me?_

Soul slammed her fist down on the rocky ground next to her, leaving behind a small dent as a result. Normally, she would never resort to violence to release her anger, but could you blame her? Her own father kept a huge secret from her, his own flesh and blood. Soul was the current holder of the Ethereal Sphere, the precious treasure that both the Johto and Hoenn Knights have been after all this time. The essence within her was the root of all the problems that have been going on.

The Ethereal Sphere was the driving motivation for all this unnecessary bloodshed.

With a slow breath, Soul leaned back against the smooth rock wall. When she ran away from Nicholas's house, she found this place called Blacktail Cove. She stayed here ever since, thinking of all the complications that's been going on, mostly about the damn Ethereal Sphere. Her hand trailed over to the item that adorned her neck. It was the necklace that contained the charm and wedding ring that belonged to her mother.

The blonde woman pulled it out from underneath her shirt and got a closer look at it. The sea green gem in the middle reminded her of her mother's eyes, the same ones Soul inherited from her. Perhaps that's why her father got it for her mother. It was beautiful, but not enough to distract her. That conversation with Nicholas still lingered in her mind. What he told her was beyond what she expected.

With this new piece of information, it could mean potential danger to her and everyone else. Those knights were out there killing their way through anything to find the Ethereal Sphere. The thing they were all after was right under her nose and she didn't know it until it was too late. Her friends all had to struggle against the people who were after it. Not only that, but she also lost a comrade because of it.

"The Ethereal Sphere is no legendary treasure, but a cursed jewel," Soul bitterly spat under her breath. "I'd rather die than live another day and put everyone in danger."

"That's no way an aura guardian should speak."

Her eyes widened when she heard his familiar voice that chimed in. Although, she wasn't surprised that Aaron of all people would come find her, especially after her outburst in Nicholas's house. An annoyed sigh left her mouth as she didn't even bother looking his way as he came closer her way.

"What do you want? Are you here to yell at me for not keeping cool back there?" Soul questioned, keeping her gaze away from him.

"No," he assured. "I was worried about you. After all, you kind of just blew up and left."

Her eyes softened a bit as she turned her head to look at him. The first thing she noticed was the concern he held in his eyes. Seeing him like that made Soul feel bad for talking to him so rudely.

"I'm sorry." The blonde woman frowned, dropping her gaze downward. "I guess I'm... not okay. It's just that I was—"

"Overwhelmed?" he answered, to which she nodded to.

"Yeah, but that's not all," she revealed. "Hearing that my own father kept such a huge secret from me made me feel betrayed, as if he didn't trust me enough to tell me himself."

Soul felt the tears beginning to build up again, but she refused to let them fall. It took her a while to stop crying beforehand and certainly wasn't easy. Her eyes were still a little puffy and her cheeks were moist from those tears. She sighed and buried her head in her hands, taking an exasperated breath.

"You shouldn't assume that your father didn't trust you," he stated sternly, causing her to look up at him with teary eyes.

"Then why, Aaron? Why was I kept in the dark of something that's putting us all in danger? Why did it take almost twenty three years for the truth to come out? Can you answer that?" she snapped.

Aaron shook his head sadly, giving her a sympathetic look afterwards. Once again, Soul looked away from him. A small tear left her eye, but she quickly wiped it away with the swipe of a hand.

"I don't know why the truth was hidden for so long, but I do know one thing," he spoke in a tender voice, as if being careful with his words. "Your father wanted you to live a long and happy life, and like Nicholas said, to not put yourself in danger. I agree that the Ethereal Sphere shouldn't have been kept a secret from you for almost twenty three years. But maybe he thought it was for the best because he already lost someone important to him. He didn't want you to share the same fate."

Share the same fate huh?

Her father was always very protective of her after her mother disappeared, entrusting her to only a handful of people. Even then, Soul was already having a tough time with training and still getting over the loss of her mother. Her childhood wasn't like any other kid out there. When they played, she trained. When they got paper cuts, she got bruises and scraped patches. When they took naps, she meditated.

However, all of that had gone into one purpose and one purpose only. She was raised to become an aura guardian, just like her father. When he passed away, she was taken in and trained to be a knight. A knight's code of honor was to protect the people and devote your sword to your ruler. There would never be a time where she didn't get hurt, much less not put herself in danger.

Soul regretted to say that her father's wish would not happen as long as she stayed with that idea.

"I understand, maybe it was for the best," the blonde woman admitted, standing up from the ground and fully facing Aaron. "Unfortunately, I grew up as a noble pawn, sworn by chivalry to protect all people and Pokémon by all means. I'm a knight, as well as an aura guardian. As an aura guardian, it is my life's job to do good deeds for the sake of humanity, even if it means gambling my life."

"What are you trying to say?" he asked, his voice wavering with caution. Soul gave him a determined look, her hands balling up into loose fists.

"With the position I am now, as well as with the Ethereal Sphere, my life is already in a gamble," she stated. "Because that's the case, Father was worried for nothing because I'm already in danger's grasp."

"While that may be true, remember that you've got your comrades to protect you along the way. No matter how far you run to keep them away, they'll come running to you," he countered, taking a step closer to her. "Which is why you need to quit talking as if you're going to die!"

Her sea green eyes instantly hardened as she gazed fiercely at Aaron. Death was a touchy subject with her, but not because of the death of her parents. To her, death was something she learned to accept at a young age. However, what mattered was the way someone died. They could be tragic, heroic, and sorrowful.

In her case, death was an option in a dire situation despite people's protests. If it meant the safety of the people and for the right cause, then of course she was willing to let her life down. Her father died a heroic death during the attempted overthrow by the rebels because he fought to protect the Queen. He taught her that if it meant your side's victory, then be willing to die for that sake.

"I am going to die at some point," Soul claimed, raising her voice slightly. "After all, death is an inevitable circumstance. I am no exception to that, especially in the situation I'm in. Because of this Ethereal Sphere, I'm most likely a prime target of the Johto and Hoenn Knights, who are probably searching as we speak!"

"I'm not letting them anywhere near you!" he countered, catching her off guard. "And I'm most certainly going to make sure you get that and something else through your head."

Her eyes widened as he caught her wrist and immediately pinned her against the smooth rock wall. As her back made contact with the rock wall, both of her wrists were pinned above her head. The blonde woman struggled and moved a lot to break free from his grip, but it was no use. His grip on her was iron hard; she had no way of escaping it at all. Sure they trained under the same standards, but Aaron was always the stronger one.

Knowing that struggling was futile, Soul hesitantly gave in and stopped. She cursed under her breath, reluctantly raising her head to look at him. She glared into his dark blue eyes that were filled with anger and something else— she couldn't tell what.

"What the hell?!" she yelled, glaring at the blue haired man in front of her.

"You're an idiot, Soul!" His eyes hardened. "Haven't you realized by now that everyone you know and care about will do anything in their power to protect you from danger?!"

"That's what I'm afraid of!" she yelled back at him. "I don't want anyone getting hurt for my sake, especially not the people I care about. It hurts watching them become my shield. I don't want that to happen for a person like me."

"So you think sacrificing yourself is any better?!"

Her eyes widened in shock at his tone of voice. It was serious, yet still held anger in it. Never once had he yelled at her like that before, even if she did something wrong. She never knew he had it in him to scold her with that kind of tone.

"Don't even think for a moment that you're going to throw your life away! Do you know how much it pains me to hear something like that come out of your mouth?!" he yelled at her.

Soul's eyes remained wide with anguish. The way he just said those words to her, it was so different. His tone made her want to shrink back, ashamed of herself for thinking the way she did. The way he looked at her with that frustrated look made her eyes glossy with tears. Never had she ever seen this side of Aaron and to be honest, it was a little bit scary.

Why did his words have such an effect on her?

"What are you..." Soul trailed off, still affected by his scary exterior.

"If you died, how do you think Queen Rin would feel? How do you think your teammates would feel? How do you think Gallade would feel?! How do you think everyone else back in Rota would feel?!" Aaron's grip on her wrist became tighter. Soul flinched a bit, but quickly recovered. "How do you think I would feel?! Have you ever considered that?!"

"What are you trying to say dammit?!" Soul snapped harshly.

"I'm trying to say I care about you too damn much to let you die just like that!" he yelled, catching her by surprise. "I'd be devastated— no, heartbroken, if I found out that the woman I love disappeared from my life for good."

All that anguish she felt earlier faded into shock. The blonde woman felt her heart began to race, that strange fluttery sensation skimming through her.

"What...?" She breathed out in shock. His eyes soften as he bit his lip, as if hesitating to speak his true words. However, when he simplified what he meant with those four words, it all became crystal clear.

"I love you, Soul."

The blonde woman felt the heat rush to her cheeks as her breath hitched for a moment. He said he loved her. He felt the same way she did about him.

Soul reached for Aaron's chin to make him look at her. A faint shade of pink was dusted across his cheeks. She needed to tell him how she felt. She couldn't keep her feelings locked up from him anymore. They've gone through so much together— she didn't want him to slip away from her anymore.

"You don't think I feel the same way about you?" Soul smiled lightly. "I love you as well. I always have, even when you were training me to become an aura guardian. I've pushed those feelings away all this time, because we both knew that romance could harm us both. Why do you think I'm always teased when you're around?"

"Promise me you'll stay alive, for the both of us? For our future together?" he begged.

"I promise."

What he did next took her by surprise. He pulled her closer to him by the waist and pressed his lips against hers. At first, her green eyes were wide with surprise. Eventually, she closed them and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It was a strange experience since this was her first kiss. She didn't know how much she longed for it.

"I knew it!" a familiar voice yelled from nearby.

"You owe me thirty gold coins, Akira!" an oh so familiar blond knight exclaimed.

"I do not!"

Both Aaron and Soul broke apart and faced the direction where the voices came from. Why was she not surprised to see Gallade standing there with a smirk and Blake smiling mischievously? From behind him, Lucario and Axel were also smirking while Akira gave the two aura guardians a closed eyed smile. Soul was never going to live this down.

"My my, Sir Aaron. I had no idea you were so smitten with Miss Fraverden," Lucario said while smirking.

"Wait until I tell everyone when we get back! Roman owes me two dozen spicy Poffins for the bet I made with her!" Gallade exclaimed and pumped his fists.

"Akira? Those thirty gold coins?" Blake smirked, holding out his hand toward the white haired woman.

"I never said I would agree on this bet because I knew they were going to get together soon." She glared at him. "Now stop bugging me for those thirty gold coins! I was never part of the bet!"

"You people sure are rude about it." Axel shook his head in disappointment. "Honestly, who bets on people hooking up?"

"Apparently this idiot does," Akira remarked as she pointed at an excited Blake.

Soul pulled away from Aaron and gave Gallade and Blake the death glare that made them squirm. A dark aura surrounded her as she glared daggers at those two goofballs. They both looked scared. Good, they should be.

"Gallade, Blake... You're so dead!" she yelled and chased after them.

They both let out a rather high pitched scream and ran out of the cove with the blonde woman hot on their trail. They're so dead when she caught them.


	35. To the Beginning

About four months ago, a mission was given out to seek information regarding feuds between foreign knights that have been recorded in certain areas. Six knights and their Pokémon were assigned this mission and boy did it come with surprises. They had quite the adventure, but the moment they entered the castle's gates, the mission would come to an end. So many things have happened while on this mission, but thankfully they were able to gather so much information. Soul left Rota feeling unprepared to lead a group of skilled and unique individuals, but now she was coming back with friends.

Unfortunately, she lost a friend while on this crazy mission. However, his death never went in vain. Mark was a good man. Hopefully he's living peacefully up in the heavens. It still bothered her that she wasn't able to save him on time, but now there was no changing the past because all she could do now was live in the present. He'd forever be missed.

While on this crazy mission, Soul discovered so many things she had no idea even existed. The history of the Ethereal Sphere was definitely among the most unbelievable thing she found out. What was even more shocking news to her was that the Ethereal Sphere was right under her nose this entire time. This legendary treasure was the root of this feud between the two nations, yet none have acquired knowledge on it. It was fine because now that she knew she was in possession of such thing, she could keep it safe from the greed of others.

As the the squadron walked through the field of green grass, Soul was able to see the familiar structure that was the Cameran Palace. Words couldn't describe how happy and relieved she felt when she noticed how close they were to home. The blonde woman would be lying if she said she didn't miss it through the four months she's been gone. She missed her home and the people she was close to: Queen Rin and Roman. This was the place where she belonged.

A place she could call her home.

The bright blue sky made the sun shine its holy light brightly, creating such a serene atmosphere. The squadron neared the castle's entrance. From here, Soul could see the bored faces of the knights who were on guard duty. Their bored expressions soon turned into one of shock the moment their eyes gazed toward the squadron. One of them snapped out of their trance and nudged the other one, telling him something afterwards.

After that, he quickly ran into the castle, most likely to inform everyone of their return. The squadron arrived at the gate and the knight didn't hesitate to allow them entry as he bowed in respect. Once they passed the gate, the squadron entered the Cameran Palace. Many knights had already gathered in the lobby of the castle: some shocked, others proud while the rest remained with their robotic demeanor.

"Everyone, make way! Queen Rin, Father Malcolm, and General Hayes are coming!"

Upon hearing the command, the knights all parted, making a pathway for them to go through. There, Soul could see all three of them making their way toward them, accompanied by the knight from the gate and as well as an old friend that she missed. Roman's eyes widened in shock when he saw her, but he continued to keep himself professional. They all came to a halt once they were a few feet in front of them. The blonde woman took a step forward and saluted to her superiors, taking charge as leader of this squadron.

"We have returned from our mission and brought back intel just as you informed us," Soul reported. General Hayes stepped forward, his face still holding that strict demeanor she didn't necessarily miss.

"Hand it all over and I shall relieve you all from the mission," he spoke.

With an "aye sir", Soul dropped her hand from the salute and fished out the two notebooks from her backpack. The moment these notebooks were in his hands, they'd all be done with this mission. Without hesitation, the blonde woman handed them over to General Hayes. He took them from her hand and saluted back to her.

"Now that I have obtained the intel you have gathered, I hereby relieve you of your mission. You have all completed the mission successfully," he informed.

"Aye sir!" The squadron saluted in unison.

Unexpectedly, everyone erupted into a loud cheer. All of the knights around them clapped, whistled, and the lancers all raised their spears. This was surely something Soul was taken aback of, but thankfully she was able to regain her composure before making a fool out of herself. After all, she was Major Soul Fraverden, one of Rota's best knights and aura guardian. She was not letting her hard earned reputation get ruined.

Perhaps her ego would do that before her attitude did.

The crowd of cheering knights had calmed down and General Hayes had them all get back to work. Once the lobby of the castle was cleared, Soul was immediately pulled into a tight embrace by none other than Queen Rin.

"I'm so happy to have you back, Soul," she beamed.

The blonde woman's features softened when she felt something wet land on her right shoulder. Soul wrapped her arms around the Queen as well and returned the embrace. It was warm and full of love, something she would imagine a mother's hug to have felt like.

"I am relieved to see you all back home in one piece," Father Malcolm spoke as Soul pulled away from the Queen's embrace.

"We are glad to be back, Father Malcolm." Akira smiled.

"Well then, let us all go discuss this more in the conference room. We do not want our guest to keep waiting for your arrival," Father Malcolm said with a closed eyed smile.

"That is correct," General Hayes piped up. "Come, we have a lot to discuss."

* * *

General Hayes opened up the double doors to the conference room. Elliot looked their way, his brilliant mint green eyes peeking up at the knights. The platinum haired man excused himself from the conversation he was having with his grandfather, informing him that the knights had arrived.

"Duke Belray!" Akira and Blake shouted in unison.

The young man stood up from his seat and walked with such a posh manner, his proper etiquette shining through. He stopped right in front of Blake and Akira, flashing them a closed eyed smile.

"It is nice to have you two back. It would be a shame if I lost two of my best knights," he spoke before opening his eyes again, sadness beginning to form in them as he looked around. "Although, there appears to be one of you missing."

Soul's eyes darken as the atmosphere suddenly became tense. They had not talked about that subject ever since it happened. However, what happened to Mark needed to be known. His death was not in vain because his noble sacrifice helped them take down the fugitives.

"Duke Belray," Soul started calmly, causing him to look at her. "I... regret to inform you that... t-that, uh..."

"Mark was killed during our mission, Milord," Aaron finished her sentence.

Soul looked at him over her shoulder with a grateful look, him giving her a small nod in return. She wanted to tell him herself of Mark's death, but she suddenly lost her voice because she couldn't bring herself to say those five words. The blonde woman looked back at Elliot, who held a solemn yet saddened look.

"Then that letter Lady Amelia sent us was true after all, huh?" He chuckled humorlessly. "I owe her one for being kind enough to bury his body."

"I take full responsibility your highness," Soul mumbled as her gaze dropped. "If you want anyone to blame, I will gladly take it."

"There is no need for that, Major Fraverden," Elliot assured with a sad smile. "I promise you his death was not your fault, nor do I want you to feel that way. Mark would not forgive himself if you did."

"... Right, of course." She hesitantly nodded.

"Well then, shall we begin our meeting now?" General Hayes questioned, almost sounding impatient.

Everyone took a seat at the conference table. All of the Pokémon were sent to the garden outside while the knights stayed to talk about the mission. Lieutenant Colonel Moreno and Major General Newman entered the conference room as well. Usually with big missions like this one, all of the Trinity must be involved as well. Soul and the other knights told them everything that happened in each location they went to.

All the while, General Hayes started reading through the journal that contained the intel she wrote throughout this mission. The blonde woman explained to him about the other one, to which he said he would take a look at too. When they finished the overall briefing of everything that went down, the Trinity also informed them of what happened during the four month period they've been gone. Apparently, some of the knights from both sides had gotten arrested for causing trouble around the area. They tried interrogating them, but it was all futile because the knights ended up bickering with each other.

However, Soul really wished they continued discussing that topic rather than the one thing that could potentially start a war. General Hayes slammed the journal on the table, causing silence among everyone and look at him, some of them startled by his sudden action. The Trinity member's eyes were wide yet filled with anger as he hastily stood up and pointed an accusing finger toward Soul, causing her eyes to widen.

"You!" he shouted. "They are all after _you_!"

"General, have you gone mad?" Major General Newman questioned, giving him a quizzical look. "What on earth could Major Fraverden have done for the foreign armies to come after her?"

"It is all in these notes, take a look!" General Hayes slid the journal to Major General Newman before looking over at the other Trinity member. "You too, Lieutenant Colonel. See for yourself!"

The Trinity members all read over the page containing the one personal piece of information that Soul had hesitantly written down after she found out about it herself. Unconsciously, her hands balled up into fists as her eyes hardened. The moment they all found out about the Ethereal Sphere, only Arceus knew what they would do to her.

"Impossible," she heard Lieutenant Colonel Moreno mutter incredulously. "Such a treasure actually exists?"

"It seems the foreign military are all after it as well."

"Not only that, but it seems that our very own Major Fraverden is in possession of such a thing."

"What do we do, General?"

"Would someone tell me what on earth is going on?!" Queen Rin shouted, slamming a hand on the table with an irritated look on her face.

"Yes please, what have you all found out?" Father Malcolm asked in a calm manner.

"And what does Major Fraverden have to do with it?" Elliot added, his face showing clear confusion.

"The Johto and Hoenn Knights are after the legendary treasure called the Ethereal Sphere, a key rumored to be able to summon the legendary Pokemon Mew," Lieutenant Colonel Moreno explained, causing the Queen, Pastor, and Duke to react with surprise.

"No way..." Elliot muttered under his breath.

"And if that is not enough, Major Fraverden is the holder of such treasure," General Hayes informed everyone in a bitter tone, his eyes narrowing at the blonde woman as if silently putting the blame on her.

Soul's teeth gritted together as she hastily stood up from her seat and glared back at him. If he was trying to pin all of this on her, she would not stand back and allow him to do so. She would not let him push her around anymore, even if it cost her the insignia he gave her. Soul felt someone's hand grab her wrist, but immediately she yanked it out of the grip and slammed her fist on the table.

She didn't care who she was against right now, but she would not let herself be used as a scapegoat!

"I understand you are upset that the root of this problem is right under my nose, but there is no need for you to blame it on me," Soul claimed, her fists shaking from the anger that began to well up within her. General Hayes scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. The other Trinity members seemed uncertain, which made it clear they weren't sure whether they should agree with what General Hayes was accusing her of or not.

"Sir, Major Fraverden had no clue about the Ethereal Sphere until we reached Sirena's Island. She was left in the dark about it almost her entire life." Akira backed her friend up, also standing up from her seat.

"Yeah, it is not fair of you to hold her responsible for all of this," Blake added, a look of annoyance crossing his features.

"Well we cannot simply ignore this unexpected truth!" General Hayes spoke in a demanding tone.

This was how he always acted. Whenever he heard of something serious, he wanted to handle the situation his way and only his way. He'd also find a way to slowly take her down being the misogynistic man he was. Thankfully, whatever he wanted to do couldn't be done unless the other two members of the Trinity agree.

"I say we arrest her."

Soul's eyes widened in shock as she looked at General Hayes incredulously. She could hear the others gasp or release some sound of shock once those words left his lips. Based on that hard look on his face, the blonde woman could tell that it would be difficult to change his mind. Luckily, many of them knew a method of twisting his decision.

Logic, excellent logic you couldn't go against.

Yes, something as simple as logic was their great General's weakness.

"And on what charges would you arrest me for, hm?" Soul challenged, a cocky smirk playing at her lips. General Hayes seemed taken aback, but regained his composure to give his answer.

"For allegedly possessing a war item," he answered back confidently.

"That is rubbish and you know it!"

"You dare speak to your superior with that tongue, little girl?!"

"Little girl?!"

Before Soul could even pounce at General Hayes, she heard the sound of chairs sliding on the floor and felt two people holding her back. Immediately, the blonde woman started squirming and moving around to get them to let her go. She looked over her shoulder to see it was Axel and Aaron who were holding her back. Lieutenant Colonel Moreno and Major General Newman holding back General Hayes, who was thrashing about to escape their grip.

"Soul, you need to control yourself," Aaron muttered in my ear. "Remember that he is the General as well as your boss. I need you to listen to me and calm down."

Hesitantly, Soul relaxed herself and gave up on trying to get them to let go of her. Eventually, General Hayes did the same and stopped his thrashing. Everyone else in the room sighed in relief, as if they have prevented a bloody mess that was foreseen. The blonde woman sighed in annoyance, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. If it weren't for Aaron and Axel holding her back, she would have pummeled him until he cried uncle.

She could tell everyone else was worried it could happen based on the uncertain glances they gave her. Despite all he said to her, General Hayes was still part of the Trinity of Powers, basically her boss. She worked too hard to get where she was and she won't let it all go down the drain over something as petty as that.

"Please, may we all just talk this through in a calm manner?" Queen Rin asked in a tender tone. "I do not want to see any more violence..."

"Yes, I agree with Her Highness," Elliot added, his warm demeanor becoming more serious. "I will not tolerate any misbehavior in her presence. Is that understood you two?"

"...Yes sir," Soul muttered.

"I understand," General Hayes added.

"Good, now that that's settled." Major General Newman cleared his throat. "I have come up with a proposition that I am positive will satisfy everyone."

"Well then let us hear it!" Father Malcolm exclaimed.

"We will not arrest Major Fraverden under any charges. She did not break any laws, nor is there evidence to convict her of any crimes."

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. For a moment, she was afraid they were actually going to arrest her over some ludicrous excuse. If it were any other person, she had a feeling she would be staying in that dungeon for the rest of her life. She might as well have been hanged in the gallows. However, if they weren't going to arrest her, then what were they going to have her do?

They couldn't exactly _take_ the Ethereal Sphere from her and lock it away somewhere.

"However, we cannot have her roaming around as she pleases. Therefore, we will have to keep her under strict surveillance twenty four hours every day until further notice."

* * *

"I might as well have been sentenced to house arrest..." Soul muttered bitterly as she made her way to the lobby where her two other teammates were lingering about.

Honestly, her being placed under twenty four hour surveillance? That's definitely invading her personal space and depriving her of her privacy.

"I understand that you're upset about all of this, but don't you think it's better than you getting thrown into the dungeon?" Aaron suggested as an attempt to calm her down.

"I really don't care about any other alternatives," Soul blurted out, stopping her walking and turning around to face him. "I'm sick of it, everything!"

At that moment, all the pent up emotions from the mission had finally been released. Yes, it's true— she was sick of these two nations who were suppose to be their allies fighting on Kanto's grounds. She was sick of hearing how much they hated each other. She was sick of all the damage they've caused innocent civilians. Most importantly, she was sick of their greedy desire for the Ethereal Sphere.

This was all just a huge problem on everyone, especially her.

"Hey, it's okay to be upset about all of this," Aaron comforted her. "I understand why you're sick of it, but there isn't really much of a choice to make under these circumstances."

Soul's lips tugged down into a small frown as she dropped her gaze to the floor beneath her. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She held the key that people were killing each other over. If they somehow knew about the Ethereal Sphere and where it was, there's no doubt that this castle would be under attack.

"On the upside, you have me keeping you under watch. It's not all that bad, right?" he said, trying to lighten her mood a bit. Soul couldn't help but let her lips turn upward into a crooked grin.

"No, I suppose not," she admitted.

Just like always, he was right. Soul was lucky he was assigned to keep an eye on her since she didn't mind. If it was anyone else, then she would have been even more mad. Aaron smiled and took hold of her hand, causing that strange warmth to crawl up to her cheeks. Even after everything that happened between them at Sirena's Island, she still wasn't use to them being a couple. It was very strange and very foreign to her.

"Let's go say goodbye to Akira and Blake. Who knows when we'll see them again?" Aaron suggested, to which Soul nodded in agreement to.

The two of them walked through the halls and down the stairs that led to the lobby of the castle. There, she spotted Father Malcolm speaking with Elliot. Akira and Blake were lingering behind and to her surprise, Soul saw Axel walking up to them. She and Aaron walked up to them as well.

This was it. The squadron was going to split after being together for about four months.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Blake spoke. "But it's going to be weird not having you all around."

"Yeah." Akira nodded in agreement. "We've been together for so long. For us to be separated afterwards feels..."

"Different?" Soul suggested. Akira softly smiled and replied with a quiet "yeah".

"We've created something most knights would normally dismiss as a weakness," Axel stated, a small smile playing at his lips. "Bonds."

"Our bonds together are very special," Aaron added. "Let's make sure we don't lose them because we've been separated."

"Agreed." Soul looked between Akira and Blake. "Continue your duties as knights, but don't ever sever the bonds between us. Also, don't sever the bond between the both of you. Work hard side by side and protect those who are important to you. As a last request from your leader, I order you to do exactly that."

Both Akira and Blake nodded in agreement. After Elliot and Father Malcolm finished their conversation, the knights bid each other their final goodbye before they left to go back to Indigo Palace. Soul was going to miss them. It wouldn't be the same without them around any more.

* * *

Soul sighed in relief as she exited the tailor chamber with a fresh and new navy blue coat. It looked exactly like the one she had before she left for that mission. When Soul told her what happened to it, the blonde woman could tell that the tailor was thinking of many ways to kill her. Luckily, she didn't harm a hair on her head because apparently she was in a good mood today. You could never tell with that woman if you're on her hit list or not.

After she left the tailor chamber, Soul met up with Aaron again. It got rather tedious knowing that she had to be watched by someone like a babysitter would to a child. She wasn't even allowed to go outside the castle to train, which kind of bummed her out. Training was essential to her or else she'd start to slowly lose her strength and stamina. It looked like it was the end for her training until all this just blew over.

As Aaron and Soul walked through the castle, she noticed the balcony door opened. The first thing she saw was the blonde royal standing there, watching something under the clear night sky. The blonde woman looked over at Aaron with a quizzical look, who only shrugged in response. Her curiosity got the best of her, making her enter through the door and stand on the balcony as well.

The Queen stood there, her gaze never once tearing away from whatever it was she was looking at. Her face seemed void of emotion, but her light hazel eyes glowed with uncertainty and maybe even fear.

"Milady, is everything alright?" Soul asked.

"I have a bad premonition. I only hope it is not true," she replied, not tearing her gaze away from what she was looking at.

"What do you mean, Your Highness?" Aaron asked.

"They are spilling blood onto the grounds of this harmless nation, all for something we have." Queen Rin removed her gaze from the distance and locked her eyes with Soul's green eyes. "Something that _you_ have."

"I promise you, I will not leave this castle," she vowed, trying to give the worried Queen some form of comfort.

"I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't want them to take you away from us. Soul, you are like a daughter to me. If anything were to happen to you, I—"

A loud boom echoed loudly through the entire castle, cutting off what Queen Rin was trying to say. Startled, Soul walked closer to the railing to get a better look at what happened. A cloud or two of smoke rose as flashes of light sparked from different directions. She could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal, cries of war against cries of pain. Her eyes widened in shock as an involuntary gasp escaped her lips when she watched the scene before her.

Two foreign military made up of numerous knights from different nations clashed with one on other. One side bore their red insignias while the other bore their green insignias, their Pokémon also bearing the color to distinguish themselves from one another. This battle was not just like any other fight, it's not to settle some sort of dispute.

The two nations prepared for war.


	36. No Going Back

After all that work, all those sacrifices made for the sole purpose of the mission...

It was all for nothing.

Soul's green eyes widened in horror as she watched both the Johto and Hoenn Knights marching toward each other. Both Pokémon and people marched side by side, armed and ready for battle. Queen Rin tightened her grip on the balcony's concrete railing tightly, her eyes quivering with great distress. She was against any form of violence, whether be it for a good or bad cause. Death was her enemy, and she'd do anything to prevent it from anyone.

"No... impossible..." Rin muttered under her breath, her eyes never leaving the two armies.

Knowing she shouldn't be standing around, Soul snapped out of her shocked state and turned to face a very angsty Queen Rin. All this was happening because of the essence inside her, which was why she's willing to do something.

"Milady," Soul addressed in almost desperate voice. "Y-Your orders?"

Tearing her eyes away from the nightmare, Queen Rin dropped her gaze at her hand that clutched the concrete rails, her blonde fringe creating a shadow over her desperate hazel eyes. She knew that Soul wanted to do something to prevent another unnecessary war to occur, but at the same time she didn't want Soul to die out there. Ever since she first brought her home, Soul was like a daughter to her. Queen Rin was there to watch her grow up into a very beautiful and strong woman. If something fatal were to happen to Soul, she'd never forgive herself.

That was why it pained her to say her next words.

"Go to your room," she ordered in a strict tone, not making eye contact with Soul. "Stay there until we figure something out."

"But Mil—"

"Go, now!"

Soul was taken aback by the Queen's suddenly strict tone. Never once had she been spoken to like that, which quite frankly startled her. Once again, Soul opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. What could she say to convince Queen Rin to let her assist? Soul closed her mouth before hesitantly taking her leave. The Queen didn't dare look back at Soul's retrieving figure, afraid that she'd cry out for forgiveness.

All Queen Rin could do now was watch from her castle the destruction of what would soon be manslaughter. With every minute that passed by, the opposing sides seemed to get closer and closer toward each other. The Queen bit her lip, for the first time feeling useless that she couldn't do anything to help. As she continued to stare at the ocean of human and Pokémon clad in armor, footsteps began to approach from behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was, because she already knew.

"I hate war," she mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing. "The thought of people killing each other for an unrealistic cause just makes me upset."

"War is something that will stay with humanity until the end of time, Milady," Aaron implied, glancing at her. "There's no way of changing that."

Queen Rin frowned, but silently agreed nonetheless. There was no such thing as peace among the people because no matter what, there would always be that one person who had the desire to change something about the way the world ran. The blonde royal balled up one of her hands into a fist, something she usually did whenever she deeply thought about something. The loud footsteps of the people over yonder caused her to look up. There, her eyes caught something she completely forgotten about.

A gasp of realization left her lips, causing Aaron to look at her curiously. How could she have not thought about it before? The answer was right in front of her all this time, yet she somehow missed it.

"Milady?"

The blonde royal turned her whole body to face Aaron, who was still trying to figure out what she was up to. With desperate looking eyes hidden in her serious demeanor, Queen Rin gave him the thought that occurred to her.

"I have a plan," she informed, though her expression faltered a bit. "However..."

Meanwhile, Soul sat on her bed, all alone and locked up in her room with nothing to do. As much as she wanted to help, she knew she couldn't go against the Queen's word. However, that didn't change the fact of her frustration toward not being able to help. Doing nothing while everyone else were contributing made her feel useless. She could just escape and do something about this, but that would mean betraying the kingdom.

Soul groaned, standing up from her bed and making her way to her desk. From a box, the blonde woman pulled out that familiar bracelet, the one that once belonged to her father. She walked back to her bed and sat down, her eyes staring at the blue gem tied in the center of the leather bracelet. The roars and screams from the outside kept interrupting her train of thought, flinching each time there was some sort of loud explosions.

"Oh Father..." She sighed. "What would you do at a time like this?"

The moonlight from her window shined on the aqua colored gem. Soul grinned the tiniest bit before tying the bracelet onto her wrist, her worries fading only just a smidgen. Suddenly, a sharp pain began to consume her head just as she tied the bracelet onto her wrist. Surprised by this, Soul gasped before pressing her palm against her head. The pain never subsided, only increasing until it almost became unbearable.

The blonde woman tried to stand up and go call for help, but her feet gave out under her. She fell onto the floor, crawling toward the door. She struggled, her breaths becoming uneven. Her vision started getting out of focus and before she knew it, she passed out before she could even reach the door.

 _All she saw was darkness, not a single speck of light to be seen. Soul remembered passing out after that powerful headache took her down, but what happened after that? She didn't know, but she did know that something wasn't right._

 _Why was she here? What's going on?_

 _There were too many questions whirling around in her head. She was locked up in her room only a minute ago and now she was in a field of darkness. Soul began to walk around, but it didn't feel like she was going anywhere, almost as if she was walking in place. Worry began to stir in her stomach. She didn't know what was going on, but she needed to get out of here._

 _A sudden stream of light hit her field of vision, causing her to stumble back a bit. The light never came from around her, but rather within her. Sure enough, the blonde woman dropped her gaze and saw the center of her torso beginning to glow. Her eyes widened when the light became brighter and brighter. It was the Ethereal Sphere beginning to react._

 _The bright light shot out in front of her and began to take form of a person. Soul's eyes never left the sight as she watched the light form into the shape of a man. Once it completely morphed, the light dimmed until she was able to see the person's features. Words couldn't even begin to describe what she felt at that moment. She hadn't seen his face in so long, yet those features of his were familiar to her._

 _Soul's eyes widened from shock as soon as his sapphire blue eyes made contact with her sea green optics. A soft smile graced his lips as she covered her mouth with one hand. This was all too good to be true, it has to be. The blonde woman felt her eyes line with tears as she looked at the man before her._

 _"Father...?" Soul asked in a small voice, removing her hand from her mouth. "Is that you?"_

 _The soft smile on his face turned into a genuine grin as he nodded his head, his brunette hair bouncing along with him. That grin... the last time she saw it was that last day they were together. It was that grin that made her believe in his words, that made her believe in him._

 _"Nice to see you after so long, Soul," he greeted as if he just came back from a trip._

 _The blonde woman felt a tear fall from her eye, quickly running down to her chin. A few more followed from there as she bit her lip to prevent herself from sobbing. If she didn't, who knew when she'd stop. Emotions got the best of her, making her run toward her father to hug him. However, reality hit her hard as soon as her arms went through his body. A sad frown made its way to her lips when that cruel reminder came to her. How could she forget?_

 _Her father was dead._

 _"I should've know this was too good to be true..." Soul mumbled in a sad voice._

 _"I'm sorry, Soul," he apologized, causing her to look up at him. "I'm so sorry..."_

 _She quickly wiped away her tears before looking at him again. Her face softened when she saw that regretful face._

 _"Father..." Soul mumbled under her breath, shaking her head. "You have nothing to be sorry about."_

 _"Yes I do," he argued. "I made a foolish mistake not telling you about the Ethereal Sphere. Now, because of it, Kanto will have to suffer another war."_

 _Her father balled his hands into his fists as he glared at his feet. Soul couldn't argue that the Ethereal Sphere was what's driving the two foreign military to battle. However, she knew that it wasn't a mistake to not tell her about the Ethereal Sphere. She knew her father. She knew that he must have had a good reason not to tell her._

 _"Don't talk ill about yourself," Soul scolded, causing him to look at her. "You weren't foolish to keep me in the dark about the Ethereal Sphere. There must have been a good reason."_

 _"There was a reason, but..." he trailed off, biting his lip nervously._

 _"But what?"_

 _"My reason was invalid, because I knew that it was inevitable," he spoke._

 _"Father, don't beat around the bush." Soul gave him a persistent look. "Tell me, what are you talking about?"_

 _"It's about the incoming war," he informed. "I know how to stop it."_

 _A look of surprise crossed her face. There was a way to stop all this unnecessary fighting, but at what cost? Before she could ask, her father had beat her to it._

 _"You need to make your way to the heart of the Tree of Beginnings. There, you must sacrifice the Ethereal Sphere in order to summon Mew."_

 _"I have to summon Mew?" she asked, her heart beginning to race from the growing nervousness._

 _"That's right." He nodded, looking dead serious about it. "Mew is the key to stopping this war. After summoning Mew, present it with your aura. Once succeeding, Mew will use that new surge of power to create a phenomenon that will cease all negativity in Kanto. However, I sense that another person is planning to meet your fate for themselves."_

 _Soul's fringe shadowed over her eyes as her hands balled up into fists. That prophecy said that two heroes would sacrifice themselves to prevent a feud between humanity itself. Her fate was sealed from then on because she held the last piece to unlock the power that could save everyone._

 _"I guess... I'm going to have to sacrifice myself... to save us all..." Soul felt her hands shake with unwanted anger._

 _She should've known. After all, she was an aura guardian. An aura guardian must create good deeds for the sake of others, making sacrifices along the way. In this situation, the price she must pay was big. Her death would be for the better of others._

 _If she was going to die, she was going to die a hero._

 _"Soul," her father called out. "Are you willing to perform the ultimate sacrifice?"_

 _The blonde woman looked up at her father and looked at him straight in the eyes. Determination flared in her green eyes as she gave him a strict nod._

 _"I'll do it," she answered. Her father smiled at her and nodded his head. She could see sadness in his eyes, contradicting his smile._

 _"I'm glad," he commented, though hesitation was clearly sensed as he looked away. Soul gave her father a worried look, but he couldn't see it._

 _"Father?" she questioned. His brunette fringe shadowed over his eyes as he gritted his teeth._

 _"Fate is just too cruel to all of us, not a single ounce of mercy is given at all..." He chuckled humorlessly. "I'm sorry you have to do this. If only I hadn't died that day..."_

 _A small silver tear trailed down his face, eventually falling off his chin. Seeing him like this made Soul's heart break. Her face soften, her own eyes becoming glossy with forming tears._

 _"It should've been me dammit!" he shouted, his voice cracking toward the end._

 _"It's okay, Father," Soul assured in a soft voice, which brought his teary gaze to her face. "If I'm going to die, I'll die a hero."_

 _A small smile appeared on her face as he grinned at her. Suddenly, Soul felt herself being pulled toward him. She felt the warmth his embrace, taking her by surprise considering she couldn't do that to him in the beginning. Tears fell from her eyes the moment she closed them, savoring this last embrace she'd ever get from her parent. She was going to miss this so much._

 _Her father pulled her away and took a few steps back. Soul wiped away her tears, but stopped when she saw his figure beginning to turn translucent. It was nice being with her father for just this once. After all, she'd most likely see him and her mother in the afterlife._

 _"I love you, Soul," he yelled as his figure started to disappear by large, shining fragments. "Fulfill that prophecy and show them what it means to be an aura guardian!"_

 _"I love you too, Father! I promise I won't let you down!" she assured with a smile._

 _Her surroundings started glowing brighter and brighter. And soon, she felt herself disappear._

With a sharp gasp, Soul's eyes snapped open and she immediately sat upright. Her racing heart started slowing down to a more steady pace. Whatever happened just now, it was no dream. It must have been her father's last request before completely passing. After all, he was the earlier holder of the Ethereal Sphere.

Maybe the Sphere came with his thoughts, knowing that she would need them at some point. Well, that just did it then. She was not going to sit around and wait for someone to fix this mess. Her father told her to fulfill that prophecy and damn right she was going to do just that. She got up from the floor and made her way over to her sword that leaned against the leg of her desk.

Grabbing it by the hilt, the blonde woman sheathed it on her scabbard that was sewn onto her belt. Now the real question was, how was she going to get out of here? Knowing General Hayes, he probably told all of the knights to not let her leave this castle under any circumstances. She glanced at the window near her bed, an idea popping in her head. Maybe she could get out of here if she snuck out through the window.

Her room was on the first floor and if she could recall, there was an exit that's only a few feet away from where she was. This should be easy if all goes according to plan. Securing her black cloak, Soul walked over to the window and slowly opened it. The small squeak that emitted caused her breath to hitch, paranoid that someone might walk in at any minute. Once the window was fully open, she released a sigh of relief and began to take action.

Soul hoisted herself up and stood on the window frame. She was one step closer to freedom. Before she could make another move however, the blonde woman froze when she heard the doorknob jiggle. She looked over her shoulder and watched the door open, her eyes widening. This wasn't suppose to happen dammit! Gallade came through the door, but stopped once he saw her.

Neither of them said anything, just stared at each other. He looked confused, while she looked paranoid. After a moment or so, Gallade's eyes began to widen once he realized what she was going to do.

"Soul..." he said, slowly coming toward her. "Get down from there."

She looked away from him, gritting her teeth with anger. Well, it's now or never. Without any warning, Soul jumped out the window and landed on the soft grass. The blonde woman scrambled onto her feet and ran for the exit as if her life depended on it. From the distance, she could hear Gallade call out her name, but not once did she dare look back. If she did, she'd most likely would have changed her mind.

By this time, his yelling might have alerted the other knights that she had escaped. No matter how you looked at it, Soul couldn't go back. The blonde woman panted as she pushed herself to sprint faster. The exit was near. The moment she got out, she was going to make a run for the Tree of Beginnings. Her only way of escape was so close, but before she could go through, someone stood in front of it with a sword pointed at her.

Soul came to a sudden halt and unsheathed her sword. Her green eyes widened when she saw that it was Axel who stopped her. He looked like he didn't want to do this, but he should know that the moment you point your sword at another knight, it's up to them whether or not they want to fight. Soul, however, had no time for this. Her eyes narrowed at him as she gripped her sword's hilt.

"Out of my way, Axel," she demanded. "This is something I have to do."

"I'm sorry, Major." He shook his head. "But I was given orders to stop you at all costs."

Soul growled lowly, now fully glaring at him. She really didn't want to fight him, but it seemed like she didn't have much of a choice.

"Fine," she growled, powering up her sword using her aura. "Go ahead and try to stop me!"

Soul ran toward the curly haired knight, her sword pulled back. Despite knowing how much damage this would cause, he stood his ground and prepared himself. Once she was about halfway toward him, she stopped and swung her sword, releasing the aura blade. Axel jumped out of the way on time, the aura blade hitting the gate instead. A huge smoke cloud resulted after the collision.

Taking this to her advantage, Soul maneuvered her way through the smoke cloud, avoiding Axel by staying away from his aura. From there, all she did was run. She kept running and running, not once looking back. The whole way, she had to avoid both weapons and Pokémon attacks. She had a few close calls, but thankfully luck was on her side and allowed her to get through it. She would get to the Tree of Beginnings and nothing would stop her.

Soul was beginning to get tired, but that wasn't going to stop her from getting to her destination. Sweat ran down the side of her face as short pants left her mouth. The blonde woman could already see the familiar rock formation getting bigger in her sight of vision. She was so close. She knew she could make it before this became any more violent. Before she continued on, a familiar voice caused her to freeze.

The blonde woman looked over her shoulder and found Gallade running toward her. Soul's eyes widened in surprise, but narrowed slightly. Why was he here? He should be back at the castle where it's safe! She completely turned around once Gallade was a few feet away from her.

"Soul, you've gotta come back!" he pleaded in a desperate voice.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that what she was going to do would make him hate her forever. She didn't have much of a choice. It was for his own good. Soul reopened her eyes and gave him a stoic look.

"I can't do that, Gallade. Don't you understand?" she told him, looking over at the Tree of Beginnings. "The prophecy made it clear that I was going to die. That's why Father never told me about the Ethereal Sphere because he knew that someday, I would have to sacrifice myself using it."

"But you promised you wouldn't die!" he screamed, his voice cracking at the end. "You promised you'd stay alive for me, for everyone. Are you going to betray that promise to them?!"

Soul gripped her sword's hilt, her eyes beginning to water. She did promise to stay alive for everyone's sake. Why did she make such an empty promise? Death was after her since the beginning and she had the feeling everyone knew that. And Gallade... he's been with her since the beginning. If she went through with this, he'd be heartbroken and most likely hate her.

Hesitantly, the woman looked back at the Pokémon, who stared at her with mad, teary eyes. Her blonde fringe shadowed over her sea green eyes as she began to unsheathe her sword. Soul didn't want to do this to her best friend, but again— she didn't have much of a choice anymore.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking back at him with sorrowful and teary eyes. "Please, forgive me someday."

Gallade gave her an odd look, which bought her enough time to focus aura energy into her sword for a sealing. When the sword's blue gem was glowing a light blue color, Soul threw it near Gallade's feet. The glow on the blue gemstone manifested. A light blue light came out of the gem and surrounded Gallade's entire body, making him become translucent.

Realizing what she had done, the Blade Pokémon looked at her dead in the eyes with his teary glare. That glare flared with both anger and hurt, which made her own heart break. His final words stabbed her in the heart like a ton of needles.

"I trusted you, Soul! I will never forgive you for this!"

With that, his entire body disappeared into the gem. Right after his disappearance, her tears rapidly left her eyes. Soul turned her back to the sword and continued her way to the Tree of Beginnings. She knew Gallade would never forgive her, and she couldn't blame him for it.

 _Gallade, I'm so sorry. I hope I'll be able to make it up to you in another life._


	37. Heroes Fall

The bright crystal like structures that differ from shape and size glowed a magical blue color as the man who stood in the center of the cave glanced at them. His navy eyes reflected the crystals, the significant color reminding him of a certain someone he held dear to his heart. His heart cracked just the tiniest bit as he remembered the reason he was doing this in the first place. Pain filled his heart as he recalled why he had to do this, why he let himself be called a traitor by his best friend and apprentice before locking him away into his staff, and why he had agreed to take on such an initiative in the first place.

He was doing this to keep Soul Fraverden alive.

Aaron clenched his jaw and balled up his hands into fists, the anger he built up earlier starting to boil over. His anger was not directed at Soul, but rather the thing that resided within her: the Ethereal Sphere. That so called legendary treasure was nothing more than a curse— taking the life of the person who bore it. It was because of that thing that his lover was in great danger.

When Aaron heard about the truth, his heart dropped. The future he wanted to have with Soul would only be nothing but a mere fantasy; a fairy tale that would never come true. However, if sacrificing himself meant protecting her and end a bloody massacre, then he would turn the other cheek and go with it. After all, Aaron was a knight and an aura guardian. He was sworn to protect humanity, even at the price of his life.

His mind went back to the conversation he and the Queen had after she sent Soul back to her room. His navy fringe shadowed over his eyes as he recalled the moment the Queen gave him her orders after the two foreign military marched toward each other at war.

 _"Milady?"_

 _The blonde royal turned her whole body to face Aaron, who was still trying to figure out what she was up to. With desperate looking eyes hidden in her serious demeanor, Queen Rin gave him the thought that had occurred to her._

 _"I have a plan," she informed, though her expression faltered a bit. "However..."_

 _The Queen's demeanor changed into one of sadness, as if she did not want to say the next words that may cause a difference in this turn of events. Aaron clearly read her like an open book, noting her hesitation. He was well aware it could not be good, but no matter what it was, he would still do whatever order she gave._

 _"Tell me, Milady. What is it that I have to do?" he asked._

 _"...You must go to the Tree of Beginnings and call upon Mew. Give it your power to end this meaningless battle," she answered._

 _Aaron's serious demeanor never changed. When he knew something good was not coming up, he knew. Rather than reacting with surprise and giving her an incredulous look, the navy haired man nodded his head._

 _"I'll do it," he confirmed, causing the Queen's eyes to widen._

 _Guilt picked at her as she suddenly remembered something. She knew he and Soul had something going on, most likely a romantic relationship. The Queen felt terrible knowing she was going to separate the two. They had a future together, but it seemed now that it would only be a dream hard to reach._

 _"I apologize for having you do this." She let her gaze drop to the floor. "I know that you know you are most likely going to die, and I feel awful separating you and Soul."_

 _"If sacrificing myself means ending this war and keeping her safe from harm's way, then I'd gladly give my life for her," he assured, causing a ghostly smile to appear on the queen's lips._

 _"Why go to such lengths for her?" she asked rhetorically. However, despite that, Aaron still answered._

 _"Because I love her with all my heart."_

The smile Queen Rin gave him after he gave her his answer gave him motivation to go through it without looking back. Now that he was here, it was time to put that plan into action. However, before he could start, the sound of running footsteps and short pants of breath caught his attention. The moment he sensed the familiar aura, his eyes widened. However, he soon relaxed, knowing she would come here on her own accord.

 _Why am I surprised? This is definitely something she would do,_ Aaron thought.

"I should have known you wouldn't keep yourself locked up in your room," he spoke once the running footsteps stopped when they entered the heart of the Tree of Beginnings.

Soul took a deep breath to stop her raspy short pants, stood up straight, and walked closer to him. She could tell he was not angry nor disappointed that she disobeyed orders. However, she knew he did not want her here and she understood why. Either way, that did not stop her from coming all the way out here by herself. Also, she was not surprised to see her fellow aura guardian here as well.

As she was running to the Tree of Beginnings, she noticed his staff on the ground, the gem on top flickering a light blue color. That was how she knew he was coming here and she also knew about what he was going to do.

"Do I even need to ask why you're here?"

"Of course not," Soul answered. "After all, you're here for that exact same reason."

 _Not entirely_ , he thought to himself.

"Would it be useless of me to try and convince you to go home?" he asked, hoping to Arceus there was still a chance of getting her to return to safety.

Soul stood in front of Aaron. She placed both her hands of either side of his face to make him look at her in the eyes. The moment his navy blue eyes met her sea green optics, he could see the dedication and determination she held.

"I refuse to go back and let you die alone," she stated. "You made me promise back in Sirena's Island that I would stay alive for the both of us, for our future together. But what kind of future would it be if I couldn't live it with you by my side?"

"Why go to such lengths for me, for us?"

Soul softly smiled before letting her hands drop to her side. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she took a step back before making contact with Aaron's eyes once again.

"Because I love you with all my heart."

That answer made him rethink of everything. The woman who stood before him said she would die alongside him as long as they could stay together in the afterlife. She refused to go back to safety because she did not want him to die alone.

How could he turn her away after she gave him such an answer?

Before Soul could say anything else, Aaron grabbed her wrist before pulling her closer to him and pressing his lips against hers. Reacting back, Soul wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms snaked around her waist to pull her even closer. The kiss they both shared was passionate, filled with the love they shared together. It would be the final kiss they would ever share together because fate was too cruel to them.

After all, the people who have completed Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes would always perish.

The two slowly broke the kiss much to their dismay. If only they had a little more time together, all would be well. Unfortunately, war waited for no one, not even them.

Soul hesitantly turned away from Aaron and faced the carved relics that were etched on to stone floor, a huge turquoise crystal resting in the center of it. This was known as the heart of the Tree of Beginnings. If she remembered correctly, the Ethereal Sphere must be let free here in order to summon Mew. The heart would absorb it and use its power to materialize the New Species Pokémon. From there, they must give up their lives in exchange for peace.

Something began to stir within Soul's heart as her hands began to shake and her nerves began to tremble. Fear had begun to struck her, the fear of death. However, at a time like this, she would not let fear consume her and prevent her from backing out. A hand settled itself onto her shoulder. She looked back only to see Aaron's concerned demeanor.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked. Soul gulped down the fear that tried to escape her.

"Let's do this."

The blonde woman brought her hand out and closed her eyes, focusing her origin energy, which was where the Ethereal Sphere resided. The intricate relics began to glow a dull blue color, for it had only started reacting to Soul's aura.

"The essence of life stands before us. Cling onto the force that keeps the souls of the living active and moving. The Humanity's Wheel Of Heroes has begun to turn, forcing the power to drag upon. Let the holy light of the last to shine brightly upon the land of the living."

The relics' dull blue color now started glowing a bright turquoise color, causing a reaction to the giant gem. Soul's words had begun to cause a reaction as a breeze of magical energy passed by, making her blonde locks sway. Her outstretched hand begun to glow a white color as particles of the lights traced over to the giant gem.

"Yield before me, o great soul of the world. The aura within strengthens your very existence. I, holder of the holy light, hereby extinguish this power to call upon the origin of the essence of life!"

Finishing the last line of the chant, the relics glowed white as the crystal dimmed and flickered while specs of light surrounded it. Soul's chest began to glow white as a ball sized sphere of energy escaped her body. Her eyes widened as she watched it trace over to the heart, causing it to flare out an intense amount of light. Both Aaron and Soul shielded their eyes with their arms, waiting for it to calm down.

The crystal released a beam of light, which soon formed into the same of an embryo-like figure. Once the light dimmed down into nothing again, Soul and Aaron brought their arms down. Their eyes landed on a small pink Pokémon, who stared back at them with curious blue eyes.

The Ethereal Sphere had brought Mew before them.

Soul couldn't be any more relieved that it worked, until she felt a painful sensation beginning to hit her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she fell down to her knees, cupping a hand over her mouth. Tears pricked her eyes as the sensation became more intense, causing her to whimper out in pain, but not scream. Worried, Aaron rushed to her side, trying to figure out what happened.

"Soul! What happened? Talk to me!" he spoke in a frantic voice as he brought her body closer toward him for support.

Mew curiously floated over to them. Its eyes watch the tears that flowed out of the blonde woman's eyes. Sadness swirled in its blue optics as it felt the pain she was experiencing. The Ethereal Sphere had the two connected, meaning the Mew felt whatever Soul felt. Not wanting her to feel any more pain, Mew focused its energy in its small paws before floating over to her.

The New Species Pokémon touched Soul's forehead, causing its paws to glow a light green color. Responding to Mew's help, the pain Soul felt had subsided. The blonde woman opened her eyes, her breaths heavy and somewhat labored. Her eyes glanced between Aaron and Mew before she carefully sat up by herself.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, I'll be okay for now," she answered.

The two stood up on their feet while Mew floated back to give them space. Soul walked over to Mew with the same dedication and determination she held when she first arrived here.

It was time to perform the ultimate sacrifice.

"Mew, we have called upon you seeking your help," she told it.

"You're the only one who can help us," Aaron added, standing behind Soul. They both raised an arm toward Mew. "Please, take our aura and save the people."

Nodding its head once the request reached it, Mew floated over near the giant crystal. Both Soul and Aaron closed their eyes and began to focus their entire essence of life into the palms of their hand. The gem on Soul's necklace began to glow, reacting with the overwhelming amount of energy beginning to flow out. Giving up one's aura was just like giving up one's existence. The process may seem painless, but it would eventually kill you.

The more of their aura getting released made them feel weaker by the second. Soul gritted her teeth as a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. Aaron clenched his jaw tightly, trying his best to ignore the growing fatigue that tried to make him quit. Mew closed its eyes and began to absorb the essence of life and stored it to build up its power. Once they were done distinguishing themselves of their aura, Mew begun to do its work and used the built up energy to send a wave of serenity throughout the nation of Kanto.

The wave of energy reached the two foreign military who were locked in battle with each other. Their fighting was brought to a stop one they felt the sudden overwhelming change of atmosphere. Knights and Pokémon from both sides were clearly confused for a moment, they had even forgotten what they were doing. Queen Rin rushed out to the balcony again only to see the field of light blue covering the majority of the setting. She noticed the bloodbath had come to a stop.

Slowly, a grateful smile made its way onto her lips as her eyes pricked with tears of happiness. The kingdom she worked so hard to keep in order would no longer be tainted with the crimson blood of war victims. He did it, but little did she know, the person she wanted to protect was also the cause of this phenomenon.

Fatigue and pain made no delay as they attacked Soul and Aaron after they had released their aura. Aaron fell on his knees, the pain bringing him down. Gathering up the small fragment of strength he had left, he crawled over to the giant crystal and leaned back against it. Soul almost lost her balance, but used up her small strength to wobble over to Aaron. Once she reached him, she fell on her knees next to him and also leaned against the giant crystal.

Their physical bodies began to glow a faint turquoise color, small particles of light emanating from them. Slowly, they started to gradually become transparent. As if the pain they tried enduring was not enough, jolts of electricity shot through their systems, causing them great agony.

Who knew that their final moments on earth would be so painful?

"Why does it... hurt so... much?" Soul wondered before another jolt of electricity hit her, causing her to yell in pain.

"It'll all be... over soon, I... promise," Aaron reassured, though it was somewhat contradictory due to his agonizing voice. "Distract yourself... think about something else."

Soul rested her head on his shoulder as she pinched her eyes shut, tears sliding down her cheeks. Through the pain, her mind wandered back to her beloved Pokémon: Gallade. She felt guilty for doing that to him because he didn't deserve that. What he deserved was an explanation, which he may not get for a long time.

"Gallade..." she mumbled. "I'm so sorry. What I did to you was unforgivable... but during my final moments, I pray... you don't hate me forever."

More tears left her eyes, tears of sadness. She did not bother to wipe them away, nor did she bother to make any more movement. Her figure was still translucent, but she did not have much time left.

"You were there for me during a dark point in my life. You were there for me when I was all alone in this world. I remember when you hatched from your egg. It was a dark night and I was sitting in front of the fireplace, watching the flames flicker around. I was holding you in order to keep you warm." Soul stopped as another jolt of electricity hit her.

She yelled in pain and gritted her teeth. When she got herself together, she continued her little soliloquy to distract herself from the increasing pain. Her final hour was slowly coming to an end as her translucent figure became more lucid.

"I kept wondering when Father would come back. I waited and waited, in hope of seeing him walk through those doors, but he never did. All of the sudden, your egg started to glow. Father's words replayed in my mind. "I'll be back in time to see that egg hatch", he said. I became very excited because I was going to have a new family member and father was going to come back.

"You hatched into a little Ralts. I was happy. I was going to tell Father that you hatched, but I never saw him again. My happiness was replaced with sadness. You sensed it, and tried your best to cheer me up and it worked. That's when we promised to wait for Father to come back..." Soul finished, her consciousness beginning to fade.

Hearing what Soul had wanted to say to her Pokémon made Aaron think the same. He and Lucario were close even with a student-master kind of relationship. Lucario learned to trust, to fight, and to protect. The bond they shared was special, and it broke Aaron's heart knowing he might have severed it by betraying him the way he did.

"Lucario, if you're somehow listening, please understand why I had to seal you inside the staff. If I didn't, I knew that you'd follow me here and take matters into your own hands. I only wish you knew the real story." Aaron took a deep breath before continuing.

"One day you will be released in a distant and more peaceful time. What would it be like. I wonder if—" He was interrupted once again, this time, by a more powerful jolt of electricity.

"Aaron!" Soul cried out as he grunted in pain. The navy haired man took deep breaths before speaking again.

"I... have... no regrets. Our journey has been... good. You and I shared many adventures, along with Soul, Gallade, Akira, Blake, and Axel. Those memories will always be with me." Aaron laid his head back against the crystal. Soul's mind was only half awake at this point. She had to try her best to hear what Aaron had to say.

"Lucario... farewell. You were more to me than just my student. You were... my closest friend."

At this point, their physical appearances became ghost-like as their time narrowed down to only a few seconds. Soul weakly reached over and grabbed Aaron's hand in hers, who squeezed it back.

"Who knows... we could be... one day... we will see each other again... I hope so, my friend," he spoke as a stray tear fell from his left eye.

Soul closed her eyes and tried her best to be as close to Aaron as possible. The blonde woman looked up at the man she loved so dearly and gave him a small smile, a smile he would always remember and adore.

"My heart will forever belong to you and no one else. I love you, Aaron," she said in a weak voice

"Even in death, I promise to keep the memory of you with me because I love you too, Soul."

During this final moment, their physical appearances now became encased in a giant turquoise crystal shell. Their final hour of living was up, and all that remained in this sacred cave where the two barely visible embodiment of the two heroes who saved the nation from suffering another war.

Their lives were sacrificed together and together they will stay in the afterlife, for their love was too strong to separate.


	38. Epilogue

Queen Rin looked out through her balcony, wondering if her faithful knight and aura guardian was going to come back. Even though she knew that the possibility of death was a high percentage, she didn't want to accept the fact that Death caught him by the throat. Still, despite this, she held hope that he would come back alive and in one piece. The war had ended after that powerful blast of positive aura was sent throughout Rota. Everything seemed at peace once again.

A loud Pokémon cry caught the attention of the blonde haired royal. She looked at the direction from where the noise came from and spotted a Pidgeot flying to her. What really caught her attention were the two items that it was holding. The Pidgeot landed on the railing of the balcony and handed Queen Rin the two items. Her eyes started at the items incredulously as tears welled up in here hazel eyes, quivering just slightly while a tear trailed down her cheek.

One was a tall staff with a large blue gem on the top. The blue gem was surrounded by two crossed metal strips. The other item was a silver sword with a golden hilt and a smaller blue gem was attached right where the blade started. These were the only items left behind by the two true aura guardians. The staff belonged to Sir Aaron and the sword belonged to Major Soul Fraverden.

Queen Rin could not help but feel disappointed that Soul disobeyed her orders and ran off to the Tree of Beginnings. However, she should have seen it coming considering that it was in Soul's nature to do what she believed was right. A sad smile reached the Queen's lips as she stared at the sword that once belonged to the only warrior she saw as her daughter.

From that day on, the two aura guardians were considered the heroes of Rota for ending a chaotic war. It may have cost them their lives, but it was worth it if it meant saving the lives of many. This good deed would never be forgotten.

* * *

"That's impossible!" Akira shouted, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Please, tell us you're lying, Milord!" Blake plead.

Elliot shook his head sadly at his two best knights. Even he himself still couldn't believe that two of Rota's best knights have made such a huge sacrifice in order to save their country. Words couldn't describe how valiant and dedicated they were to perform such deed. Only true heroes possessed the courage within them to perform such a selfless act, even if they knew the consequence would mean death. Because of that, Elliot found himself having such high respect for the fallen knights.

"I'm afraid I'm not lying, Blake," he mumbled, his icy blue eyes making contact with Blake's blue optics. "Grandfather heard the news from the Queen herself, even showing him their prized weapons. I know that you all had gotten close during the mission, and I'm sure they'll treasure it even in the afterlife. I'm truly sorry for informing you of this unfortunate news."

Akira fell to her knees, choked up from the horrible news she just received. It was just like the time when Mark died, building up denial until reality hits her hard. Blake was also shocked that his old comrades had fallen. He always thought that the two would live on no matter what because of the incredible power and strength they had. Hearing that they died was just unbelievable.

A small drop of liquid fell onto the marbled floor as a small sob left Akira's mouth. Hearing it brought Blake out of his little trance and quickly went to her side. Elliot looked down, ashamed for what was happening. He took a small glance at the crying Akira, who was being comforted by Blake, feeling a bit guilty for having them react like that because of the news he gave to them.

But let's face it, the life of a knight came at a price.

Be willing to sacrifice your life at any time.

While being an aura guardian, one must not hesitate to die for the chance to save their environment and the people in it.

* * *

"As consequence for violating our alliance contract, I hereby, as Queen Rin of Kanto, revoke Johto from the alliance between Kanto and Hoenn."

The blonde royal felt pleased with herself with her decision of breaking the contract to rid Johto from the grasp. After all the damage that was done to her beloved country because of them, they didn't deserve an ounce of help from anyone. When she had first brought up the idea with Elliot and General Hayes, they agreed that it was the best course of action. In fact, they also proposed an international case to convict Johto for their horrendous crime done to Kanto. Queen Rin was beyond on board with this proposal, especially since her husband's murder may finally find some closure after all.

It would take some time to organize this international case, for they have yet to find a neutral and non-biased country for it to be held. Johto knew better than to run away from their crimes, but that didn't mean they would bow down and surrender. They were stubborn, that was a fact for sure.

Hoenn didn't get off so easily either. Of course, they knew they shouldn't have engaged in war on Kanto territory. Their King offered to pay for reparations and any damage done on their part. He also agreed to sign a new contract that, when in a time of crisis, Hoenn must notify Kanto for help. No secrets that may potentially endanger other countries must be kept. This arrangement made peace once again between the Kanto and Hoenn relation.

Queen Rin signed the declaration of the nullification of Johto's alliance in front of many important foreign affair officials. Once she finished, she handed the document to Elliot, who gladly took it out of her hands. He looked back at the officials, specifically making eye contact with the ones from Johto.

"Don't ever bring this country into your political problems ever again." Elliot smirked. "We'll be seeing you in court soon. Be prepared with a _really_ excellent lawyer."

 ** **THE END****


End file.
